Running Away from Gallifrey (A Classic Who Fanfiction)
by Tea and Weirdness
Summary: A story following the Classic Doctor Who episodes with Doctors 4-8. The Doctor's childhood friend, The Fighter runs away with him to explore the universe while they run into trouble, save planets, are reunited with old friends, The Fighter is reunited with her sister Romana, They meet their past incarnations, make new friends, and fight in The Last Great Time War.
1. How it all Began

Hello my dear readers Old and new.

This story is a Prequel to my story "The Time Lady and her Boys" from my The Time Lady and her Boys Series. (pretty simple.)

This story will follow the TV episodes of Classic Who with Doctors 4-8 along with The Master's incarnation's and my Time Lady OC The Fighter's incarnation's as well. There will be some mention to their childhood together back on Gallifrey so that part won't be left out. The paring will be mostly Doctor/Time Lady OC/Master.

This chapter will start with a little background on the characters and an introduction to the story. Thank you for reading, enjoy!

\- Tea and Weirdness

* * *

**Running Away from Gallifrey**

**Doctor Who Fanfiction**

**Chapter 1: How it all began**

**Keira Knightley as the 1st incarnation of the Fighter**

* * *

It all began on Gallifrey, located within the constellation of Kasterborous. The Homeworld of a race called Time Lords.

A young Time-tot called Theta Sigma was running across the red grass fields with his friend Koschei. The orange burnt sky above them and the silver trees blowing in the wind.

It lead them to a girl about their age, sitting outside her house "The House of Heartshaven" alone. She was looking to the sky and watching the boys run along the grass.

The young girl who's long blonde hair was shining in the light was shocked when Theta walked up to her, holding out his hand to her. The blonde haired boy's gesture had her confused, but as she took a leap of faith looking into his blue eyes with her brown ones, she found her hand reaching for his.

"Hello, I'm Theta Sigma! I'm from the House of Lungbarrow, not that far from you."

The young girl was shy, but gave responded back with a bright smile. "I'm Missy." She gestured to the building behind her. "House of Heartshaven."

The young boy with black hair and blue eyes walked up to greet the girl with his friend. "And I'm Koschei from House of Oakdown."

From that moment on, they became the best of friends.

* * *

The three friends were entering the Time Lord Academy, now at the age of 8.

They were to look into the Untempered Schism with the option of being either: Inspired, Running Away or going mad.

Theta ran away.

Koschei just looked and looked, but a sound entered his head. A constant drum beat making him slowly go mad.

Missy was inspiried, though she kept hearing the sound of a slow ticking clock in her head.

Little did Koschei or Missy know, the young girl's very "Father" had planned it to happen all along.

* * *

After centuries in the Academy and growing in age, feelings were beginning to slow develop between the friends.

They were part of a group with eight other to be renegade's in the Prydonian Academy. They called the group The Deca.

The three of them were still very close. Theta and Koschei both liked Missy, as for Missy, she had her eyes on someone else.

She was naive, clumsy, and too trusting, but had three hearts instead of two (as Theta would always proclaim.)

They both cared for her more than anything, and she the same for them.

* * *

Problems were happening in Missy's family. She had never gotten to know her father who was the Keeper of the Matrix, this supercomputer that held all the incarnations and final lives of Time Lords. He was constantly at work.

The young girl was watched over by her mother and very close to her. Her mother gave her a special necklace that Missy always wore.

All the members of Missy's family were her mother, father and her 45 cousins, one of who interacted with her the most was a girl called Ailla.

Ailla was always mysterious, blunt and jealous. She was jealous of Missy and the two would never truly get along.

A new addition to the family came when Missy was informed that she had a little sister called Romanadvoratrelundar, but they would call her Romana for short.

Missy and Romana clicked instantly, becoming the best of sisters. Though, that was short lived when the two began to drift apart for reasons all known to Missy.

Then their mother was killed. The Killer was never found.

Missy would spend the holidays at the Lungbarrow house with Theta's family who welcomed her with open arms. They wished for her to marry Theta, but it didn't happen.

Missy was oblivious to the boys feelings for her, but in time she would began to realize it. She had feelings for them as well, but would deny it as being anything more than close friends.

The three friends graduated from the Academy, earning their new names.

The Fighter for Missy.

The Master for Koschei.

And The Doctor for Theta.

They ended up going their seperate ways after that. The Fighter ended up marrying a terrible guy for her. The Doctor fled Gallifrey and the Master followed after on his own adventure out there.

Don't worry, more of their story is to come. For this is only How it all began.


	2. The Deadly Assassin: Reunited

**Running Away from Gallifrey**

**Doctor Who Fanfiction**

**Paring: Fo**urth Doctor and Second Fighter (With Some Decaying Master)

**Chapter 1: **The Deadly Assassin: Reunited

**Summary: **The 4th Doctor has a precognitive vision of danger on Gallifrey involving the President of Time Lords being murdered along with one of his childhood friends, The Fighter being in grave danger. Along the way he runs into his other childhood friend, The Master who is dying. How will this reunion go between the friends? (Follows the TV episode with some added stuff.)

**Nina Dobrev** is the 2nd incarnation of The Fighter.

* * *

_Through the Millennia,_

_the Time Lords of Gallifrey _

_led a life of peace and ordered calm,_

_protected against all threats from lesser civilizations by their great power._

_But this was to change. Suddenly and terribly, the Time Lords face the most dangerous crisis in their long history..._

The Doctor was in his TARDIS setting the coordinates after receiving a summons from his people when suddenly, he is struck by a premonition. Time Lords in orange, red and yellow robes are reaching out at him. He sees the Lord President in his white and gold regalia.

A gun overlooking the Panopticon is pointing out towards the President of Time Lords ready to shoot him down.

"No!" The Doctor yells out as he sees that the assassin is him pointing the gun towards the president as he fires it, knocking the president down.

The Doctor looks around frantic in his TARDIS shaking his head as he stumbles over to the wall falling down to the ground in horror as another premonition comes to him. He was walking into his childhood friends old house, The House of Heartshaven.

The house looked abandoned and empty as he kept walking and found a woman with brown hair reaching her waist and brown eyes,covered in bruises. She was laying on a bed, dying. The woman had a familiar air to him.

"No it can't be!" He said to himself as the vision continued.

The woman looked up and asked him "Theta?" It was his childhood name he went by back in the academy. It was, it had to be...her.

The vision stopped as he blinked his eyes open looking around his TARDIS breathing heavily against the wall. He got up off the ground setting the coordinates for the House of Heartshaven as the TARDIS began to land.

He stepped outside of the TARDIS looking at the house. He had to make sure, he just had to make sure it wasn't her. He walked up to the familiar door from his childhood as he knocked on it. It was a long time ago now when he first left Gallifrey and came knocking at this door asking her if she wanted to run away like she always dreamed to. He wanted to make her dream come true that day, but she denied saying she was over it and happy with her husband. But he could tell it was all a lie in her eyes.

He kept insisting, but she kept denying. He decided to believe her and left the planet with Susan his granddaughter. Part of him cursed himself for leaving her with her husband of all people, but he let her do her own thing. He should have just taken her with him. He had always been nervous to reveal his true feelings to her.

The Doctor was snapped out of his thoughts as he knocked on the door again harder this time as it suddenly opened on it's own. Curious, he walked in to see it abandoned just like in his vision.

Worry began to run through him as he walked through the empty hallway and turned into a room seeing a woman lying on the bed, death in the air. It was the same woman he saw in his vision, his childhood friend he held feelings for, The Fighter. She was laying on the bed with her robes in a mess and her brown eyes, once full of joy, now looking at him hopeless. She was covered in bruises and cuts that refused to heal for some odd reason.

The Doctor hurried into the room towards her. She was looking at him refusing to move or do anything. She just wanted to lay down and die. She had finally reached her breaking point and wanted the pain to end.

"Missy, it's ok. It's me, Theta, The Doctor. I have returned." He began to move slowly towards her as she remained still staring at him.

"Theta?" She asked him just like in his vision.

He continued talking "I had a vision that you were in trouble and clearly you look like you are." He continued moving towards her slowly noticing how different she was from the last time he saw her. She use to have blonde hair and brown eyes, she was always so cheerful, but now she was frowning and looked lost.

Her once warm eyes, were now looking at him with a cold, guarded look. He felt that if he were to touch her, she would shatter instantly.

"I would never hurt you, I am not like him. You've known me since we were little, you know what kind of person I am."

She remained quiet looking at him. He sighed, feeling helpless. The woman he loved was laying before him, damaged.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked around wondering where The Joker, her husband was. He turned back trying to get a reply out of her "Why are you here all alone? Why does the house looked abandoned and such a mess?" She didn't reply as he noticed her closing her eyes.

"No, no!" He shouted as he put his head to her chest listening for her hearts beating as they were beating slow for a Time Lord. No he had just found her and couldn't lose her again. He quickly picked her up and carried her out of the house and into the TARDIS.

He put her in the medical ward and set her on the table. Looking through his medicine for something that would help her out with healing since her regeneration energy was working slower then normal. He found the medicine and opened it as he put the bottle to her mouth. The liquid began to go down until the bottle was empty.

He took the bottle away as she suddenly jolted up coughing. He quickly laid her back down as she looked around the room her mind trying to process everything. He got his stethoscope, putting it to her chest, listening to her hearts. They sounded normal like they should be.

She jolted up looking at The Doctor as he spoke "It's okay. You're safe with me, just the two of us." He kneeled down to her eye level. "Now tell me, what happened?"

The Fighter looked down at the ground, avoiding his gaze. She didn't want to tell him, her best friend, that she went to her childhood home to lay down and die. She couldn't let him know that horrible thought.

The Doctor got the message and pulled out Jelly Babies from his pocket, trying to cheer her up in his way. "Care for a Jelly Baby?"

She looked at him confused with her eyebrow raised in wonder over what in Gallifrey was a "Jelly Baby." She studied the way her friend looked now from the last time she saw him. This time he had curly brown hair, blue eyes, a silly multi-color rainbow scarf that reached the floor as it was a surprise he was still alive having not tripped over the thing and was eating a candy he called a Jelly Baby.

He noticed the way she was looking at him as he smiled eating a Jelly Baby. The frown remained on her face. She could tell he was trying to cheer her up, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. She couldn't bring herself to speak. She had lost all motivation.

The Doctor looked at her in worry as he set the Jelly babies back in his pocket. He reached out putting a hand on her shoulder "Missy, please tell me what happened. How can I help you if you won't talk to me?"

She still avoided his gaze.

"Missy..." The Doctor pleaded.

The Time Lady finally looked up at him, her eyes still cold and narrowed. "Why?! Why did you save me?"

The Time Lord answered like it was obvious "Because you're my best friend and I- I care for you a great deal."

The Fighter shook her head and looked away again. "You want to know why I was all alone in my abandoned childhood house dying on my bed, right?"

The scarf wearing Doctor nodded.

She looked back up at him, her tone bitter "Then I'll tell you when I'm ready to." She looked away, avoiding his eyes again. The Fighter refused to speak again.

The Doctor gave a frustrated sound before he sighed. "Okay. When you're ready, tell me. Just know that I care about you Missy and I just want to help you."

She heard his words, but didn't reply.

"When you're ready, you can join me at the console. I need to go speak with our Lord President." The Doctor walked out of the room, leaving her alone. The Fighter finally let out the tears she was holding back silently, so the Doctor wouldn't hear.

Why did he come and save her? Why did he care so much about her when no one else did? Why was he being nice to her even though she was being bitter to him?

She cared about him, but she felt she had to keep him at a distance. So as to not only protect herself from losing him, but to protect him as well from her.

This new regeneration of her's was born from the bitterness of the pain brought upon her. She was opposite from who she used to be. It made her bitter, spiteful and short tempered. She was mad at him for saving her, yet another part of her was grateful. It was that small part of her, the old her, that decided to go join her friend in the console room.

* * *

The Doctor was typing the coordinates into the TARDIS as it materialized to somewhere else on Gallifrey. He looks down at the scanner "Right outside the Capitol itself. I'm in trouble now."

He pushes the button to see what's outside on the scanner screen as guards appear "The Chancellery Guards" The Doctor scoffs "What a welcome home."

Commander Hilred walks through the door with Castellan Spandrell towards the TARDIS "It looks...If I didn't know better, Castellan, I'd swear it was a Type 40."

"It is." The old Time Lord replied.

"But that's impossible. There are no Type 40s in service. They're out of commission, obsolete." Commander Hilred said confidently.

"Obsolete? Twaddle! Take no notice, my dear old thing" The Doctor said as he gently patted the TARDIS console.

The Fighter walked into the console room. She has changed out of her Time Lord robes and is now wearing a olive green Victorian dress. Her eyes went wide, looking at the screen where the Doctor was. "It's the Chancellery Guards."

The Doctor looked over to her, surprised. "Oh, there you are. You look better. I've seemed to run into trouble but not to worry." He gave her a grin. The Time Lady narrowed her eyes at him, shaking her head.

Castellan Spandrell continued to talk as they both looked at the screen. "Nevertheless Commander, this is a TARDIS. It's in an unauthorized zone, I want the occupants arrested."

"The Barrier of this model is a Double Curtain Trimonic, so you will need a cypher indent key to get in." Castellan Spandrell explained.

Commander Hilred smiled "Very good Castellan. I will send for one."

"After you have arrested the person there, you will impound the machine."

"Of course Castellan. And will you want me to question..."

"Eventually! Yes, but not on a Presidential Resignation day Hilred."

The Doctor looked at The Fighter with wide eyes still, realizing his other vision was true. "Presidential Resignation day..."

The Fighter raised her eyebrow "Yes and what about it?"

He looked at her as he explained "You remember how I told you I had a vision about you in trouble."

She gave a nod as he continued "I also had a vision about the president of Time Lords being murdered."

The Fighter put her hands to her hips "Really now?" They turned to the screen, noticing the guards getting their guns ready to invade the TARDIS.

"We must get past them and warn the president!" The Doctor said with his eyes wide. He looked to the goldish brown console as he pulled a drawer open, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. He began writing.

The Fighter watched him curiously as he was writing a letter. She turns to look at the screen seeing the guards putting a key into the TARDIS. The Doctor comes out of a door quickly with a case full of items. The Doctor then turns down the lights and sets up a decoy to mislead the guards, using his coat and scarf on a chair with a hookah he picked up

He looks over at The Fighter, watching the screen behind her "This way! Come! Quickly!" They both hide behind the console.

They hear footsteps entering the TARDIS as the Chancellery Guards make it in. "Don't move, I said don't move!" Commander Hilred commands it. He walks towards it with the rest of his guards. He picks up the letter The Doctor left by the dressed figure and reads it.

Commander Hilred then turns to the door to see The Doctor holding The Fighter's hand while they run out. "There they go! Quick!" Commander Hilred and his guards start chasing after them.

The Doctor and Fighter come to a stop as a door behind them opens from the lift with a Guard. The Guard holds up a gun, motioning for them to keep walking. Suddenly the Guard is struck by a gun as The Doctor catches him falling limp in his arms.

The Fighter turns to see a black phantom-like figure who fired the shot. Her eyes narrow at them. The figure stops, looking at her.

The Doctor looks up at the figure "Hey! Just a minute! Excuse me!" The figure begins to disappear down the hall, ignoring his calls.

The Doctor looks around frantically for other guards as he goes inside the lift and pushes the button to close it. He steps out in time before it does. He quickly grabs The Fighter's hand as they run, hiding behind a pillar and watch the guards examine the dead guards body.

"All guards report to main tower, sector 7. Dangerous intruder at large." Commander Hilred reports through his communicator on his wrist.

* * *

Commander Hilred goes to see the Castellan in his office. "I apologise, Castellan. He won't evade capture a second time."

Castellan narrows his eyes "In the light of your impressive record so far, I would make no rash commitments."

Hilred hands him the letter The Doctor wrote "He also had an accomplice with him as well , A Lady of our own people. I also found this in the capsule."

Castellan begins reading it " "To the Castellan of the Chancellery Guard - I've good reason to think the life of His Supremacy, the President, is in grave danger. Do not ignore this warning. - The Doctor." And he signed it over the Prydonian seal!"

Egin looks at the extract bio he got "Apparently he is or was at one time a member of that noble chapter."

"How can you tell?" Castellan asked.

Egin explained "Well the bio extracts of Time Lords are color coated according to chapter."

Castellan narrows his eyes "I didn't know that. A Prydonian Renegade huh? I'm guessing the Lady with him is also another Prydonian Renegade. Try to find out anything about her as well, I have to refer this to Chanceller Goth. "

* * *

The Doctor and Fighter then come out from hiding behind the pillar as they start walking back towards the TARDIS.

"It's her...The Fighter. Of course he would come back for her! Predictable as ever Doctor." A black hooded figure mutters to himself observing.

* * *

The Doctor is on the scanner in the console room of the TARDIS "Now, where's the local news programme?" The Fighter points it out to him. "Ah thank you."

The screen pops on as a young man in brown and cream Time Lord attire appears on the screen.

The young man begins speaking "Around me in these high galleries of the Panopticon. Already the Time Lords are gathering, donning seldom worn robes with their colourful collar insignia. The scarlet and orange of the Prydonians, the green of the Arcalians, the heliotrope of the Patrexes, and so on. And the one question that is on all their lips, the question of the day, as His Supremacy leaves public life, is who will he name as his successor?"

The Doctor looks to The Fighter "Oh no it's Runcible-"

"Runcible the Fatuous." The Fighter says bluntly, recalling his nickname back in the Academy. The Doctor gives her a smile, glad to see her remembering one of their fellow Prydonian's from the good old days.

Runcible continues talking "In a moment, I hope to talk to Cardinal Borusa, the leader of the Prydonian Chapter, the Chapter that has produced more Time Lord Presidents than all other Chapters together, and perhaps get an answer to this question."

The Fighter's eyes widen, looking at her old teacher. "It's Borusa! He's regenerated since we last saw him at graduation." She was one to talk as well. She had regenerated since she last saw him. The Time Lady felt the memories of a joyful time long ago before everything happened, giving a small quick smile before making it fade into a frown again. It hurt to know that the memories were no more anymore.

The Doctor grins, remembering their teacher back in the academy "Oh yes! Good old Borusa! He became Cardinal! "

Runcible goes up to Borusa dressed in the scarlet robes of the Prydonian chapter. "Cardinal Borusa, if you can spare a moment, sir."

"Yes?" Borusa asks.

"Public Register Video. If I could ask you a few questions?"

"Good gracious. Runcible, is it not?"

"Yes, sir." Runcible nods.

"One of my old pupils at Prydon Academy." Borsua explained to his fellow lords.

"May I congratulate you, sir, on your elevation to Cardinal?"

"Thank you, Runcible. Good day." Borusa began to walk away as Runcible stopped him.

"No, no, wait, sir. Please, if I could ask you a few questions."

"Runcible, you had ample opportunity to ask me questions during your mis-spent years at the Academy. You failed to avail yourself of the opportunity then and it is too late now. Good day."

The Doctor and Fighter exchange looks of Grimace to each other over their old teacher snapping at Runcible. The Doctor then laughs "Oh boy, besides looks Borusa hasn't changed much. I was beginning to wonder what he would do if we met up with him again, but after seeing him snap at Runcible, I'm afraid he would do the same to me for my low grades and all."

The Fighter looked at him with a frown as he cleared his throat, his smile fading. It hurt him to see her this way. She wasn't even laughing or smiling about the good old times and it bothered him. He was begining to feel as if he was also at fault for her being this way. Maybe thats why she wouldn't tell him what was wrong.

Runcible continues talking on the screen "I'm afraid Cardinal Borusa cannot, at this present moment in the time band, commit himself. However, it is certainly no secret that a very senior member of the Prydonian Chapter, and the present number two in the Time Lord Council, Chancellor Goth, is the widely fancied candidate."

"Oh, get off." The Doctor frowns looking at the screen as he turns it to an outside view of the TARDIS. He looks to the Fighter who is looking at the screen. He knew he wouldn't get any answers out of her, that was apparent now. He would just have to wait for her to tell him, even if it might be his fault. He looked back at the screen after hearing voices.

Goth and Castellan are talking to each other as they walk towards the TARDIS.

"There's no way this Doctor can enter the Capitol from the tower, is there?" Goth asks.

"Unless the Lady he's got is helping him. Perhaps he's gone to the tower to shake off his pursuers while the Lady inside lifts the barrier. "

"What an inventive suspicious mind you have, Spandrell. So this in an old Type Forty." Goth asks.

"Its shape was infinitely variable."

"Remarkably good condition. What are you going to do with it?"

"I hadn't thought. I was more interested in its operators."

"Well, I shouldn't leave it here in case they try to sneak back. Transduct it back into the Capitol. Oh, and, er, keep me informed about your progress on the conspiracy."

"Of course." Castellan says as he turns to a guard "Transduct this to the museum."

The guard goes to a wall panel as the TARDIS begins to pixilate.

The Fighter turns to the Doctor, eyebrows raised "Oh great. They are putting us on display in a museum for being captives. Do you have any other bright ideas?"

He puts his finger to his mouth for her to stay quiet as he walks over to the door opening it and looking outside at the museum. He gestures for The Fighter to follow him as they step outside the door. "What a way to travel." He exclaims. "But which way to the Panopticon?"

They began looking around as they walk down stairs where a display of Time Lord regalia is with a gold robe and headdress along with a scarlet robe and headdress. The Doctor turns to The Fighter grinning as an idea comes to him.

The Time Lady shakes her head "I shouldn't have asked."

* * *

A black hooded figure and man are in the Adytum speaking to each other.

"So, they are within the Capitol."

"All The Doctors actions are exactly as you predicted, Master."

"I know both of them. They are my childhood friends after all."

"The Doctor is resourceful. He will gain the Panopticon without further help, though he seems to be protective of the Lady with him."

"Of course, he knows he is entering a trap. But how can he resist such a bait?" The black hooded figure looks like a decaying corpse dug up after several weeks in the soil. "Quixotic fool. He will die quickly. Make certain he dies very quickly. As for the Lady, leave her alone! I will deal with her myself."


	3. TDA: The Lord President is Dead

**Running Away from Gallifrey**

**Doctor Who Fanfiction**

**Paring: **Fourth Doctor and Second Fighter (With Some Decaying Master)

**Chapter 3: **The Deadly Assassin Part 2: The Lord President is Dead

**Summary: **The 4th Doctor has a precognitive vision of danger on Gallifrey involving the President of Time Lords being murdered along with one of his childhood friends, The Fighter being in grave danger. Along the way he runs into his other childhood friend, The Master who is dying. How will this reunion go between the friends? (Follows the TV episode with some added stuff.)

**Nina Dobrev** is the 2nd incarnation of The Fighter.

* * *

The Doctor and Fighter are in the Time Lords robing room where two Time Lords are talking amongst each other.

"You know, I remember the inaugural of Pandek the Third."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Nine hundred years, he lasted. Now there was a President with some staying power, what?" A hand takes his gown off the hook.

"Staying power. Where the dickens is my gown?"

"Nine hundred years, eh?"

"I could have sworn it was here a second ago."

"Here you are, sir." The Doctor in a plain white tee shirt holds up the robes helping him into it. The Fighter avoids looking as she is hiding behind the curtain.

"Ah, thank you. Most kind. Yes, very different from the fellows nowadays, what? They're chopping and changing every couple of centuries." The Time Lord replies. The Doctor then quickly disappears behind the curtain going over to The Fighter.

"You're not gold, are you?" The other Time Lord asks.

"Not what?" He looks down at it. "This isn't my gown! That fellow's given me the wrong gown."

"What fellow?" The other Time Lord asks confused.

* * *

The black hooded figure is at the top of the Panopticon gallery as a weapon has been put together and is placed on the railing next to the camera. The Doctor dressed in an orange Time Lord robe while The Fighter, dressed in a red Time Lord robe walk around the room chatting with everyone.

"Heh, heh, heh. The innocent to the slaughter." The Figure says.

The Doctor and Fighter then begin looking around the room as The Doctor keeps an eye out.

Guards begin to enter as The Doctor pulls The Fighter over with him so they can talk to Runcible avoiding the guards. The Doctor quickly glares at him for pulling her "What the heck?"

"Runcible, my dear chap. How nice to see you." The Doctor tells him.

Runcible turns to look at them confused "What? Oh, I don't believe we've, er. Oh, I say. Weren't you expelled or something? Some scandal?" He asks The Doctor.

"Oh, it's all been forgotten about now, old boy." The Doctor replies.

"Oh, really? Well, where've you been all these years?"

"Oh, here and there, you know. Round and about."

Runcible turns to The Fighter "And what about you? How are you and your husband doing?"

She looks down quietly as The Doctor bends over trying to keep his face and The Fighters hidden from the guards.

"Is there something the matter?" Runcible asks them.

"Oh no, just a twinge in the knee." The Doctor replies.

"Well, if you will lead such a rackety life. Have you had a facelift?"

"Several, so far." The Doctor replied, grinning about his regenerations.

"Yes, well, nice to have met you. I must get on. I'm doing the PR videocast."

"Yes, and splendidly too, if I may say so." The Doctor gave him a grin.

Runcible looks at him "Oh, do you think so?"

The Doctor nods, complimenting his friend "Oh, it's a gift. Somehow you have a wonderful way of making the whole thing come alive."

"Oh, that's very nice of you."

Suddenly Organ chords start up.

"Oh, that'll be the President now. He's just arrived at the Panopticon." Runcible replied.

The Doctor begins to remember his vision of the President and looks up at the Gallery as The Fighter looks up there with him.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Runcible asks the Fighter.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replies coldly to him.

"Come on, you stupid yoik." Runcible says playing with his ear piece. "I should be getting a signal from my camera technician up there." He points over to the camera.

The Fighter tugs on The Doctor's robe pointing up to a rifle on the railing. "No!" He exclaims.

The Doctor begins barging his way through the assembled Time Lords as The Fighter follows after him. Their headdress begin to fall off in the process. "Let us go! Let us go!" He yells as they began to run out of the hall up to Panopticon gallery where the rifle is. The guards begin to chase after them.

The Doctor and Fighter enter the gallery looking down into the main chamber. The president dressed in white robes begins to walk out.

Someone in the audience raises a hand weapon. The Doctor picks up the rifle and shoots as The President falls to the floor with The Fighter gasping at what he has just done. Her childhood friend had just shot the president!

The Doctor grabs The Fighter's hand as they begin running away, but The Guards arrive.

"There they are!" Hilred calls out.

The Guards grab them holding them by their arms as they take them down to the audience. The Doctor is struggling while The Fighter remains still. The Guards hit The Doctor over the head.

"Is that them?" A Time Lord calls out.

Borusa walks up "Prydonians."

Hilred holding the gun explains "They were in the gallery, sir, He was holding this."

The Doctor looks up at the roof. "Extraordinary. The roof's still on. I could have sworn it fell on me." The Fighter rolls her eyes at him, the anger that already filled her in this regeneration was rising more.

"Get them to a detention room." Castellan commands.

The Doctor begins struggling "No, no, wait, wait, I-"

"Let go of me! I didn't do anything!" The Fighter yells at them, her anger finally snapping.

The guards begin to take them both away.

Goth then comes running over to Castellan. "Castellan! The President is dead. The trial will start immediately."

"I need more time."

"Time for what?" Goth asks confused.

"There are unanswered questions."

"That, presumably, will be the purpose of the trial."

Borusa speaks up "Such haste is against all our traditions of fairness and justice."

"This is a constitutional crisis. The President died without naming his successor. An election must be held within forty eight hours." Goth explains.

"But that is a separate matter." Borusa tells him.

"No, Cardinal! The Time Lords must not be seen to be leaderless and in disarray. The assassin must be tried and executed before the election." Goth yells at Borusa.

* * *

A cage on top of a pillar, accessible only by a retractable walkway that passes through a weapons detector. The Doctor and Fighter are chained with their hands above their heads. Hildred uses a weapon-like device to encourage the Doctor to talk. The Fighter watches with blank eyes but deep inside is worried for her friend.

"You will confess, Doctor." Hildred commands him. "I could always use this on her instead." He looks over to The Fighter. The bitter Time Lady gives him a cold glare.

"All right. All right, I'll confess." The Doctor says not wanting The Fighter to go through more torture, having endured enough.

"Very sensible." Hildred replies.

"I confess you're a bigger idiot than I thought you were." The Doctor grins at him.

"There are fifteen intensity levels in this device, Doctor. At the moment, you're only experiencing level nine. Much easier to talk." Hildred tells him as holds to weapon to him.

"I've got nothing to say."

"Oh, you'll think of something, soon." Hildred turns to The Fighter turning the gun to maximum as The Doctor's eyes widen.

The Fighter still glares at him. She isn't afraid of him pointing his gun at her, though she doesn't want the Doctor to see her die. "Harm me all you want! Go right ahead, but you won't get anything out of me either."

The Doctor looked at her worriedly. Why was she egging him on? Did she want to die? The suddenly, it hit him. She had a death wish.

"Well? Come on! Try your hardest to get me to talk! Or are you afraid to hurt me?" She began to chuckle, her eyes cold and spiteful. "Well that's new. No one in my life was ever afraid of hurting me, so why should you be? Besides, this time won't be different from the last time you all put me on trial and then tried to have me killed!" Hildred glares at her, remembering what she was talking about. He has had enough of her attitude and goes to zap her.

"No stop!" The Doctor shouts but Hildred ignores him.

"Turn it off" Castellan commands coming into the room. Hildred does as told and turns it off.

"Tweedledee." The Doctor says knowing that would make The Fighter's head pop up as Alice in Wonderland was her favorite Earth story he let her borrow in their childhood. She popped up her head at the name as he gave a sigh of relief seeing she was ok.

Castellan stood in front of them both. " I must apologise for my subordinate. He lets his enthusiasm run away with him."

"I see. The hot and cold technique." The Doctor replied.

"We are simply seekers of the truth, and we haven't got much time. Chancellor Goth has ordered your immediate trial." Castellan said looking at them both.

"I'd like to help you. How about a signed confession?" The Doctor asked.

"That will help. I hate going to court without possessing the full facts. Motive, for instance." He looks to the Fighter who glares at him.

"Now that's a sensible question. Why should anyone want to assassinate a retiring President?" The Doctor asked.

"A personal grudge?"

"I never met him." The Doctor replied, shaking his head.

"I know. I have seen your biog. Your's as well." Castellan replied looking at The Doctor and Fighter.

"And let me guess, you still think we did it?" The brown haired Time Lady asked with a sarcastic tone.

"I think you're going to be executed for it. They are preparing the vaporisation chamber now. You have about three hours to live, Doctor, Fighter."

"What? Well, that's monstrous. Vaporisation without representation is against the constitution." The Doctor exclaimed.

The Fighter gave a small chuckle again. "It's what they do. Accuss you of something that isn't your fault then kill you before you are proven innocent." The Doctor looked to her with a raised eyebrow, wondering what had happened when he was gone from Gallifrey.

"You are both an embarrassment." Castellan replied.

"You realise We've been framed, don't you?" The Doctor asked.

"Framed?" Castellan raised his eyebrow as well.

"Yes, framed. It's an Earth expression. It means that someone's gone to a great deal of trouble to get us into this mess." The Doctor explained to them.

"Why did you come back here?"

"To try and save the President's life. If you remember, I left a note for you. Which, presumably, you did nothing about." The Doctor told him.

"All that I could. So you knew the President was going to be assassinated?" Castellan asked him intrigued.

"Yes. In a way, I experienced it." The Doctor said.

"Go on." Castellan told him as The Doctor explained everything. The Fighter looked to the Castellan and Doctor shocked. He was actually going to listen to their story?

* * *

Goth is seated, as judge. Borusa stands next to him and other Time Lords are around. Hildred is standing, giving evidence while the Doctor and Fighter are sitting at a table.

Hildred is speaking "The prisoners eluded us at that time. Later I went with Castellan Spandrell to the Capitol Museum where the TT capsule had been transferred. Erogen tracer immediately became active. I concluded the prisoner must have been in the vicinity sometime previous."

Instead of taking down notes, The Doctor is sketching a picture while The Fighter looks at the others with her cold eyes.

Runcible begins talking "He seemed nervous, well, apprehensive. He was looking around all the time that we were talking. Then, just before the President appeared, he turned and started to run across the Panopticon. After that, I thought he said-"

Another Cartoon sketch and some notes later...

"He pushed past me in a loutish and unmannerly way along with her. Never in all my years of attendance at the Panopticon can I recall such." A random Time Lord says.

Goth asked the Time Lord "If you could confine yourself to this incident, sir. What happened next?"

"Well, I caught them by the arm to remonstrate with them, and he shouted 'Let us go. They'll kill him.'" The Time Lord explained.

"Are you perhaps getting a little hard of hearing these days?" Goth asked.

"Well, er, at my age one can expect these things. I've been having a bit of trouble with my hip lately."

"Let me put it to you. Could the accused have said, 'Let us go, I will kill him'?" Goth asked.

"Well, yes, I suppose it is possible. He could have said that."

"Thank you. Has the accused anything to say before sentence is pronounced?" Goth asked The Doctor and Fighter.

"Yes. Article Seventeen." The Fighter told them standing up. The Doctor looked to her with a raised eyebrow.

Goth looked at her shocked "Article Seventeen?"

The Time Lady nudges the scarf wearing Time Lord painfully in his side. "Ow! What was that for?" The Doctor whispers to her.

The Fighter motions for him to stand. He realizies what she's trying to tell him to do. "You want me to run for president?" He looks to the crowd in the courtroom.

"I offer myself as a candidate for the Presidency." The Doctor replies standing up.

"The application is frivolous."

"No, sir. Article Seventeen of the Constitution which is a guarantee of liberty and says, in part, that no candidate for office shall in anyway be debarred or restrained from presenting his claim." The Fighter explained to them smirking. "You really should pay more attention to the laws."

"The guarantee of liberty does not extend to murderers." Goth replied.

Borusa adds in "As a jurist, Chancellor, I must point out that until the accused is pronounced guilty, they are protected by Article Seventeen." He looks to the Fighter as the Time Lady's eyes widen in surprise. Her old teacher from the Academy was actually defending her.

"He is abusing a legal technicality." Goth's eyes narrow, pointing to the Doctor.

The Doctor explains "No, sir, I am claiming a legal right."

"Very well. But do not think you will escape justice. See that the accused gets no opportunity to leave the Capitol." Goth says to Castellan.

Goth, Hildred and the other Time Lords leave the room leaving The Doctor, Fighter and Castellan alone.

"Forty eight hours, Doctor, Fighter."

"Well, it's better than three." The Doctor replies, looking to his childhood friend.

"What are you going to do?" Castellan asks them.

Guards surround them as they talk. "Suppose, suppose I can convince you we didn't do it?" The Doctor asks Castellan.

"All right, convince me." Castellan nods to them.

* * *

Back in the Adytum The black hooded figure and the man are talking.

"Well?" The figures asks him.

"The trial was adjourned, master. They pleaded Article Seventeen. It was that woman's doing!" The man explained to him.

"She is still as clever and beautiful."

"The Doctor will not escape." The man says confidently.

"Escape? Escape is not in his mind. Now they're hunting you."

"It was a mistake to bring him here. Maybe we can use the girl he has with him?"

The figure raises his voice in anger "No, You will leave her alone like I said. She has done no wrong to me, unlike all the others. You do not understand hatred as I understand it. Only hate keeps me alive. Why else should I endure this pain? I must see the Doctor die in shame and dishonour. Yes, and I must destroy the Time Lords, then I will take The Fighter with me as I should have last time! Nothing else matters. Nothing!"

* * *

The Doctor and Castellan examine the panels at the back of the Panopticon for his stray shot. Hildred and Fighter join them. Hildred has found the weapon trace to the left of the staircase.

"Is that it?" The Doctor asks.

"Stasers don't do a lot of damage, except to body tissue. Looking at the President, you couldn't say whether he was hit in the head or the leg." Castellan explains.

Suddenly a scream is heard. The Doctor exclaims "That was Runicible!" He runs after him with the others following quickly behind.

Someone is removing the discs from the recording drum on the gallery. "Runcible!" The Doctor calls out to them. The figure hisses and leaves. The Fighter looks to see Runcible has fainted on the ground.

"Well, at least he's alive." The Doctor says.

"Come on, what happened?" Castellan asks as he holds Runcible up.

"Horrible. Horrible. My technician. In the camera..."

The Fighter looks up to see the body of a miniature man is in the tube. The Doctor looks out among the railing as he speaks "Matter condensation. A particularly nasty sort of death."

"I've never seen anything like it." Castellan shakes his head.

"I have, I'm afraid." The Doctor turns to The Fighter frowning. He had to tell her about him, he had to tell them about their childhood friend, The Master and what he had become since the last time she saw him.

"What is it Doctor?" The Fighter raises an eyebrow.

He breathes in "It's a technique the Master picked up somewhere on his travels."

The Fighter blinked her eyes in shock. "Wait, what? How could he have done this? He left Gallifrey a long time ago, right after you left!"

"Who's the Master?" Castellan asked confused.

The Doctor sighed, regretting saying this about his childhood friend before telling "Who is the Master? He's my sworn arch-enemy. A fiend who glories in chaos and destruction."

The Fighter began to shake her head, not believing what she was hearing him say. They weren't enemy's, they were best friends, childhood friends along with her. This couldn't be real. Castellan looked back and forth between The Doctor and Fighter.

"No..." The Fighter said shaking her head. "Not him...please don't say it's him..."

"I'm sorry Fighter, but yes. You know, a lot of things are becoming clearer." The Doctor nodded "If the Master is here on Gallifrey, then this represents the final challenge. It explains why I was brought here. There are old scores to settle. And that's just a sort of greetings card."

The Fighter looked at him shocked, her eyes full of disbelief. "What you're trying to tell me is, since you guys left here, you both have become sworn enemy's and are fighting each other? What happened to being friends?"

Castellan points at The Doctor "I want to know all you can tell me about this Master. And I warn you now, if there is some private feud between you, do not try to settle it on Gallifrey."

"It cannot be avoided. Like it or not, Gallifrey is involved" The Doctor looks between the Fighter and Castellan "and I'm afraid things will never be quite the same again. Shall we go down?"

They began to walk down the stairs with The Fighter keeping a distance away from The Doctor. The Fighter looks over to see Runcible stumbling out towards them.

"I'm sorry, so sorry." He mutters as he suddenly falls to the ground to reveal a large steak sticking out of his back.

"Runicible?!" The Fighter goes to her old academy friend, looking at the steak sticking out of his back. She couldn't believe what the Doctor had told her. Why would the Master do such a thing and what had happened between them to make them enenimes?

The Doctor noticed her look of horror, looking to her with sympathy.

"No wait, you're going to tell me this is the Master's doing as well?" She replied bitterly to him. He remained silently as she already knew what he was going to say.

* * *

The Time Lords return to the Records room to figure out a way to stop the Master.

"Four cold-blooded killings in one day." The Castellan shakes his head.

"Flea-bitings, Spandrell, flea-bitings. Things will get a lot worse." The Doctor looks at him with The Fighter is sitting next to him.

"Not here in the Time Lord Capitol." Castellan yells back, pacing the room.

Engin comes into the room reporting to the Castellan "Nothing, Castellan. There is no record of any Time Lord ever adopting that title."

"I told you so. If there had been a DE on the Master, the first thing he would have done would be to destroy it." The Doctor looks up at Castellan.

Pointing his finger the Castellan explains "According to Coordinator Engin, the Time Lord data extracts cannot be withdrawn without the fact being recorded. I thought that yours had been scanned recently, but he assured me it was impossible."

"Rubbish. Anyone with a little criminal know-how could do it. I could do it myself" The Doctor gestures to the controls as he jumps up."Child's play to the Master. Do you think this stuff is sophisticated? There are worlds out there where this kind of equipment would be considered prehistoric junk."

"What is the Master like on mathematics?" Castellan asks.

The Fighter breaks from her silence and looks up with her arms crossed from the chair, recalling her other best friend. "He's brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Almost up to The Doctor's standard."

"What's that?" The Doctor asks pointing to a control.

"The APC control. Amplified Panatropic Computations. Trillions of electrochemical cells in a continuous matrix. The cells are the repository of departed Time Lords. At the moment of death, an electrical scan is made of the brain pattern and these millions of impulses are immediately transferred to the-" Engin is cut off by The Doctor.

"Shush. I understand the theory. What's the function?" The Doctor asks.

"Well, to monitor life in the Capitol. We use all this combined knowledge and experience to predict future developments."

The Doctor exclaims in realization "Ah. Like the assassination of a President!"

Engin shakes his head "For some reason, that was not foreseen."

"Oh yes, it was foreseen, Engin. It was foreseen by me. How very clever. This time he's surpassed himself. " The Doctor's eyes widen realizing it was The Master calling him to Gallifrey. Then what about his vision of The Fighter?

He looks to The Fighter as they make eye contact. "Well, don't you see what he's done? We Time Lords are telepathic and that's how I got the vision about you, you're calling out to me for help deep inside your mind! This APC is simply a brain storage system. The Master intercepted its forecast that the President was to be assassinated and beamed it into my mind. "

Castellan asks "Is that possible?"

"Yes, yes. He could do it. You said my DE had been scanned." The Doctor explained. "Yes. He'd need a biography print to beam a message accurately over that distance. It makes sense, Castellan."

"Maybe, but why?" Castellan asks again.

The Doctor looks over at The Fighter "I told you. Because he has an old score to settle." The Fighter sighs crossing her arms, still not able to believe this all.

"Doctor, I simply cannot believe that anybody could do what you're suggesting. How can one intercept a thought pattern from within the Matrix itself?" Engin asks.

The Fighter answers bluntly, rolling her eyes at him. " By going in there and joining it. My father use to be the Keeper of the Matrix before he passed away remember? The Warrior?"

Castellan and Engin nodded "Oh yes, The Warrior of Heartshaven. But still, You mean a living mind?"

"Well, in a sense that's all a living mind is, electrochemical impulses. If we went in there, we could discover where he intercepted the circuit." The Doctor explained.

"I couldn't allow that. It's too dangerous. The psychosomatic feedback might kill you." Engin says.

The Fighter nods standing up, her hands on her hips "I'm aware of that."

The Doctor puts a hand on her shoulder "You're not doing this, I will."

She gives a chilly look "No I'm doing it, or we can both do it together. I'm not letting you go alone! Besides, I know my way around the Matrix." She gave an anxious look before adding to what she said "M-My dad taught me some things."

"You can give me that frozen look all you want, I'm not having you go in there! I'm going alone!" The Doctor looks into The Fighter's eyes as he puts his hands on her shoulders, looking into her brown eyes. "Please! Stay! I'll be fine."

The two stare at each other, refusing to back down.

The Castellan cleared his throat, breaking the silence. He looked to the stubborn Time Lady "Let him try." A couch slides out from under the APC as The Doctor gets on it. The Doctor looks to the Fighter who's arms are crossed. "Hey, hey. I'll be fine!" She gives him a nod as Engin places electrodes on the Doctor's temples.

"Is this what happens to the near-deceased?" The Doctor asks him.

"Well, they're normally unconscious. I think there might be some pain."

"I'm ready when you are."

Engin powers up the APC. The Doctor stiffens in pain, then his mind goes hurtling down the vortex into The Matrix.

He lands in a Betchworth quarry, with his scarf around his neck. Sinister laughter echoes are heard all around. An alligator gaps in a nearby stream.

The Doctor slithers down loose chalk and over a precipice, until his feet find solid rock. He uses his scarf to lasso a stunted shrub to try and pull himself up. A Samurai warrior appears above him, draws his blade and cuts the scarf, sending the Doctor tumbling down the cliff.


	4. TDA: Battle in the Matrix

**Running Away from Gallifrey**

**Doctor Who Fanfiction**

**Paring: **Fourth Doctor and Second Fighter (With Some Decaying Master)

**Chapter 4: **The Deadly Assassin Part 3: Battle in the Matrix

**Summary: **The 4th Doctor has a precognitive vision of danger on Gallifrey involving the President of Time Lords being murdered along with one of his childhood friends, The Fighter being in grave danger. Along the way he runs into his other childhood friend, The Master who is dying. How will this reunion go between the friends? (Follows the TV episode with some added stuff.)

**Nina Dobrev** is the 2nd incarnation of The Fighter.

* * *

The Fighter is sitting down next to where The Doctor. His face is covered in sweat, as if he's having a bad dream. Entering the Matrix this was is not only painful, but very dangerous. She shakes her head, looking to him with worry. "You idiot."

Engin looks up at the controls "It's stopped."

The Fighter shakes her head "I should have gone with him! I know how to work it inside the Matrix!"

The Time Lord looks to her suspiciously "And why exactly is that? Why would the Keeper of the Matrix show someone not of the High council, to work something like the Matrix?"

The Fighter looked to him anxiously, her eyes cold. She doesn't reply to him, knowing she shouldn't tell him the truth.

Suddenly the machine beeps as Engin walks over, pointing at the screen. "Brain activity. Look, there's nothing!"

"You mean he's dead?" Castellan asks, eyes wide.

"Virtually. I warned him the psychic shock of that environment." Engin explains.

"But he's still breathing."

"Oh, motor functions often continue for some."

The Fighter grabs the Doctor's hand and closes her eyes as the two Time Lords talk. She begins concentrating, using her ways of working the Matrix to help her friend through it.

Engin exclaims in surprise "He's back! His brain must have an unusually high level of artron energy."

The Fighter opens her eyes, giving a small smirk to the men. She looks to the Doctor and pats his hand gently. She had done it. She helped him into the Matrix safely. Now she just had to work on keeping him safe while in there.

"Fight it Doctor, fight it." She whispers into his ear.

* * *

The Doctor wakes with an oxygen mask on his face, an operating theatre light overhead, and a masked and gowned surgeon holding a very large syringe standing over him. The figure wears opaque round spectacles.

"You were a fool Doctor to travel into my domain."

The figure leans over to inject him, the Doctor rolls away and down into a World War One battlefield with explosions all around. He runs off, and finds himself standing over at an intersection of railway tracks. There are three railway engines nearby, and each driver's face is concealed. A set of points moves, trapping his right foot between two rails. An approaching train blows its whistle. The Doctor struggles to free his foot as it bears down on him.

The Doctor throws himself sideways, foot still trapped, and the engine passes. Unscathed, he frees his foot easily.

"It's an illusion. Dreams." He tells himself.

The Doctor runs back into the quarry area and steps into a giant egg. "I deny this reality. The reality is a computation matrix." He says to himself again.

The quarry walls flex then turn into circuit boards. A dizzying vortex fills the Doctor's mind and he collapses. Under the burning sun, vultures circle. When the Doctor wakes, two eyes appear in the quarry wall.

The Figure speaks "I am the creator here, Doctor. This is my world. There is no escape for you."

The eyes fade. The Doctor makes his way to the sound of running water. He brushes away some sand to reveal a glass surface, and the image of a clown laughs at him. He covers it over with sand again.  
The Doctor makes his way down a slope into a lightly wooded area, and a biplane circles overhead. The plane dives low and buzzes him then returns for a strafing run. The Doctor flees for his life. The plane makes a second run. The plane flies off. The Doctor discovers that his leg is bleeding.

"I deny it. I deny it!" The Doctor yells at the sky as The bleeding eventually vanishes. He then grins up at the sky.

The Figure speaks "You are trapped in my creation, Doctor. My reality rules."

"All right, I'll fight you in your reality." The Doctor responds.

The Figure talks back "Then it will be a pleasure to destroy you. Be on your guard. Bwhahaha!"

* * *

Engin looks to the screen, watching the Doctor's mental reactions "His respiration has increased. That's an adrenaline response. And there's a massive blood sugar demand. That would suggest he's preparing either to run for his life, or to fight for his life."

Castellan shakes his head "But he can't, can he? Who or what is he fighting?"

"Presumably, another mind." Engin replies as he looks to the Fighter for reassurance.

"You mean there's another living mind in the Matrix?" Castellan asks.

The Fighter nods her head, still holding the Doctor's hand. "Yes. Which is why I should have gone in with him to fight it!"

Engin looks to her with worry "What should we do?"

"Exactly what I've been trying to do, help him fight it." The Fighter gave a proud smirk to him.

* * *

A person who is not the decaying figure lies on a couch with a red metal helmet concealing their head. It shows an eye's view of someone running through foliage.

The black hooded figure begins to speak "We have him now, but be wary. The Doctor is never more dangerous than when the odds are against him."

* * *

There is a hunter with a concealed face. He wears a backpack and carries a rifle. He shoots at the Doctor but only hits the chalk cliff. The birds go crazy with the noise, and the Doctor runs, then tries to climb a slope. The hunter is waiting at the top. Another miss.

The Doctor finds a place to hide behind a buddleia bush on the cliff face, but he does not notice that there is a giant spider sitting in its web behind him. The hunter makes his way across the valley towards the cliff as the spider lowers itself in front of the Doctor. The hunter puts down his rifle and raises his mask to drink from his water canteen, then consults a map.

The hunter whisper's to himself "Water. He's going to need water."

The Doctor is chewing on a leaf. The hunter runs off, leaving his canteen and backpack. The Doctor comes out of hiding and crawls over to them, but the canteen is empty. He checks the backpack. A torch, some dynamite, and other items.

The Doctor takes a hand grenade and a small reel of wire. He wedges the grenade in the fork of a small tree.  
The hunter arrives at the nearest water, and pours the green contents of a small bottle into it, then moves away into the reed thicket. The Doctor arrives, and sees him go.

The hunter returns to his backpack, walking into the wire attached to the grenade pin and pulling it out. It explodes with a bang.

"It didn't get him. If it had, this nightmare would have ended." The Doctor says to himself squinting.

The hunter climbs up on a hill "All right, Doctor. A good try, but not quite good enough."

* * *

The black hooded figure yells out "The fool! That could have been fatal. Physical deterioration increasing. He should have finished the Doctor off before now."

The cloaked figure speaks to a guard seated in a chair "Stand. I have a task for you. There may be difficulties. Others may try to prevent you fulfilling my orders. You will ignore them and obey only me. You will let nothing stop you. Do you understand?"

The guard revealed to be Solis responds standing "Yes, Master. I will obey only you."

"This is what you will do..."

* * *

The Doctor arrives at the pool and stoops to drink, then stops. He finds the discarded bottle and sniffs it. "So that's what he was up to."

The Doctor breaks off a piece of reed. Back at the backpack, the hunter has dressed the wound in his side as best he can. He leaves in great pain. Meanwhile, the Doctor is cleaning out the middle of the reed then using it as a straw to suck up untainted water from the margins. He hears the hunter returning, and leaves.

The hunter calls out "I'm very close to you, Doctor. You'd better start running. Do you hear me, Doctor?"

The Doctor hears him. He hides in a thicket and pricks himself on a thorn, then breaks more off and crawls onwards before climbing a tree. The Doctor dips a thorn into the remains of the liquid in the small bottle then places it in his reed, turning it into a blow pipe. The hunter approaches cautiously. The Doctor blows, and the thorn hits the hunter in the thigh. He looks up and shoots. The Doctor falls from the tree. The hunter pulls out the thorn and cuts his trouser leg to see the wound it has left. The Doctor rolls over to reveal he has been shot in the right upper arm. He staggers away. The hunter jabs himself with what is presumably the antidote to the poison.

* * *

The guard Solis enters "Message from the Chancellor, sir. He'd like the Doctor brought to him."

The Fighter has her eyes closed again in concentration, holding the Doctor's hand. The Castellan speaks to him "Solis, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir."

The Fighter asks curiously, eyes still closed. "Who's he?"

"He's one of the Chancellor's personal guard." Castellan responds back.

Engin looks to The Doctor lying on the couch "Very well. You'll have to wait. It'll be over soon, one way or the other."

"He's been in almost four minutes. How long can a living man exist in there?" Castellan asks looking at Engin and The Fighter.

"I've no data available, but his body's on the point of collapse now. Low blood pressure, shallow respiration, carbon dioxide increasing. He can't last much longer." Engin points out to the Fighter. "Whatever you're doing, make it quick!"

"I'm working on it! I won't-" She quickly stopped talking before she revealed the truth.

Her father, The Warrior, passed away from The power of The Matrix. It was like someone was possessing him or something as he started acting differently, even her sister Romana started to notice it. He taught the Fighter all about the Matrix, calling her his Key. The reason of his passing was not only because of the Matrix, but because of her.

She wasn't going to let the same thing happen to the Doctor. She determined to save his life and keep him safe. Her thoughts started to drift to him saving her. This must have been how he felt when he saved her life.

Solis sees a knob with a bright purple dot on it on the APC and smiles.

* * *

The Doctor is staggering through a marshy area. He hears The Fighter's voice calling out to him in his ear. "Theta...please...pull through for me. I believe in you! Please come back!"

The Doctor continues walking "Don't worry, I will. Must keep going. I must keep going."

The hunter watching, mutters to himself "He can't last long."

* * *

The Castellan looks to the Fighter "It's only a mental battle. If the Doctor's losing, why can't he just pull out?"

Engin speaks up "It's not that simple. His adversary must have been in the matrix many times before."

The Fighter opens her eyes, realizing something is about to go wrong. She shouts to Solis "Hey, don't touch that!"

Solis pulls back "Sorry."

"He's created a mental stronghold, a dreamscape if you like. The Doctor's got caught up in it." Engin explains.

"So he doesn't stand a chance?" Castellan asks Engin.

"A very slight one. His opponent is expending energy in maintaining the reality projection. The Doctor can employ all his own artron energy for defence." Engin replies.

The Fighter closes her eyes, concentrating on the Doctor again. "Which is why he needs me. I'm focusing all my atron energy onto the Doctor and the Matrix, helping him and watching him."

Engin looks at her in awe "Remarkable! You can enter the Matrix without using the adapter or the Key to the Matrix to get in? Your father taught you all that?"

The Fighter gave a smirk "Well, he always did call me his lucky key."

Solis reaches for the purple knob again. Castellan calls out to him "Get back! Get back from-"

The Castellan pushes Solis back, but he gets up and lunges for the knob again, so the Castellan shoots him.

* * *

The Doctor is hiding in the purple loose-strife and buddleia.

The Hunter calls out to him "Where are you, Doctor? You can't win, Doctor. You might as well give up now."

"What do you want of me?"

"Only your life, Doctor. Your life for my Master."

"I'll make a bargain with you."

"No bargains. Show yourself, Doctor. Get it over with. Do you hear me?"

"No. You show yourself first. Your real self."

"Very well, Doctor."

The Hunter rips off the mask and hat revealing himself to be Chanceller Goth, the one working with the Master.

"Goth. All right, Goth, you win." The Doctor moves, Goth raises his rifle and fires, igniting the marsh gas and setting himself on fire. Screaming in pain, Goth falls face down into the water. The Doctor comes down into the water, and Goth leaps up and grabs him from behind. They trade punches, splashing around, until finally Goth floors the Doctor then sits on him, hands around his neck, holding his head under the water.

"Finished, Doctor. You're finished." Goth yells, holding him under water.

"Stop Goth!" The Fighter's voice is heard shouting.

The confused Time Lord looks around as the Doctor grins.

"Make one wrong move and I will give you the worst pain you will ever experience in your life. And you know I can! Now let go of him and raise your hands above your head!"

Goth realizing her mental energy is stronger than his, lets go of the Doctor and stands up, hands to his head. The Doctor gets up and hits Goth with the branch he was using as a walking stick earlier.

* * *

The Master removes the helmet from a spluttering, gasping Goth. "You wistful, you craven-hearted spineless poltroon! You failed me!"

"Too, too strong. Too much artron energy." Goth gasps for air.

The Master turns away towards the controls "Bah. There's only one chance now. "

"Master, what are you doing?"

"I must trap him in the Matrix."

"But the lady, she was in there too. She was helping him fight me."

The Master looked down, debeating. He couldn't trap her in there, especially with the Doctor.

Goth continued "No, Master, no. For pity's sake! The connections. You'll kill me too."

"I've no time to waste on you." The Master looks to him in anger,killing Goth.

* * *

Smoke comes out of the APC Engin jumps. "Oh no, the circuits!"

"No, you can't! If you cut the power, the Doctor will die in there." The Fighter warns them.

Engin looks to her with worry "But the circuits are blowing. If there's a fire, the whole panatropic net, thousands of brain patterns will be destroyed forever."

"They're not alive. The Doctor is, I hope." Castellan replies looking to The Doctor.

"I've reached the Doctor in Matrix and I'm going to help get him out now. Just give me more time!" The Fighter pleads with Engin. The Fighter focuses all her enegry in bringing him back.

"Hurry Theta! They are going to shut down the machiene. You need to come back now!" The Fighter's voice sounds worried. "Just focus all your energy on returning. I'll help you, okay."

The Doctor gives a nod. He is surrounded by explosions in the quarry, then vanishes. Back in reality, he breathes in deeply.

* * *

A green light stops flashing. Goth looks very unwell.

The Master yells in anger "They've cut the net. He must be out."

Goth says with a weak voice " You fiend. Why did I believe in you?"

The Master walks over to Goth "I'll cheat them yet. I'm not beaten." He picks up a small hypodermic needle.

* * *

The Doctor begins waking up as he coughs "Do you mind? This is a non-smoking compartment."

"Oh you're back, and with your silly sense of humor nonetheless." She says sarcastically, giving a sigh of relief as she helps him up.

"How do you feel, Doctor?" Castellan asks.

"Tired." He puts his head back down as it goes on The Fighter's lap and she looks down at him shocked by the action. "I don't know how you did it, but thank you for helping me Fighter."

She gives him a nod, accepting his gradtitude.

Castellan replies "Yes, you'd better rest. You took quite a beating in there."

The Doctor lets out a breath and grins "You should see the other fellow." He jolts up from the Fighter's lap, looking around. "Where is he, by the way?"

"You mean Goth?" The Time Lady shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know where he is. He left the Matrix though."

Everyone's eyes widened as the Castellan asks "Did you say Goth, the Chancellor?"

"Yes. The Master's legman. He's the assassin, Castellan." The Doctor informs him.

The Castellan's eyes widen, finally realizing "That's why he wanted a quick execution."

The Doctor stands up, and staggers. The Fighter catches him, helping him lean on her shoulder.

The Doctor explains "It was Goth, remember, who ordered my Tardis to be transducted into the Capitol. He knew I was still inside it. Goth must have his own link with the Matrix. A tap-in. We've got to trace it back to him before he recovers. " The Doctor looks at the controls to the APC as he points "What's underneath here?"

"Only service ducts." Engin replies.

"Is that all?"

"Well, a long way down, vaults and foundations dating from the old time."

The Fighter looks to The Doctor "You don't mean...?" He grins at her and looks back to Engin.

"Come on, come on. Show me"

* * *

The Time Lords come around a corner entering into a dark green room called the Adytum. A cloaked figure sits still on a chair. The Doctor raises the hood to reveal a dull eyes in a skull.

"Who is that? Is it Chanceller Goth?" Engin looks to the disfigured person.

The Doctor looks at him with a frown "It's The Master."

The Fighter's eyes widened, not believing the decaying corpse that was nothing but a skeleton with rotting skin, was their childhood friend.

"Is he dead?" The Castellan asks.

The Doctor nods, looking down sadly "Yes...yes he is."

Engin looks at Goth, laying on the couch, looking like a wreck. "The Chancellor's still alive."

"Not for long, by the look of him." Castellan said walking over to him as The Doctor joins them. The Fighter is still by The Master, looking to him in disbelief. She slowly walks over to join them.

Goth begins to speak slowly "So, Doctor, Fighter, you beat us in the end."

"Goth. Goth, why did you do it? " The Doctor asks.

His voice becomes Raspy "Wanted power. Wanted to be President."

"But you would have been."

"President told me I was not his successor."

The Doctor raises his voice "So you killed him?"

"For him, the Master. His plan." The Fighter looks over at the corpse of her friend with raised eyebrows, then back to Goth.

"What was his plan, Goth?" The Doctor asks.

His speech begins to become slow "Met him on Tersurus. He was dying. No more regeneration possible. Promised me share all his knowledge if I bring him to Gallifrey."

The Doctor leans in towards his face "Goth? Goth, what was his plan?"

"Couldn't fight his mental dominance. Did everything he asked. Sorry now." He begins gasping in for breath. Soon after he lies dead.

"No answer to a straight question. Typical politician." The Doctor comments, shaking his head.

* * *

The Castellan begins explaining everything to Borusa as The Doctor and Fighter stand behind their old academy teacher "It seems clear how it happened. The Master tried to trap the Doctor in the APC net by overloading the neuron fields. Then he collapsed and died, leaving Chancellor Goth still connected into the circuit."

"Natural causes?"

"Yes, sir. His body was extremely emaciated. He had come to the end of his regeneration cycle."

The Doctor and Fighter begin whispering to each other about their old teacher. "I wasn't expecting to meet him again in this way." The Fighter remarked.

The Doctor gives her a grin. "Though it is good to see him again and you as well my dear." The Fighter gives him a nod. Borusa turns around walking over to them, they both become silent.

"The story is not acceptable. This is a very difficult, very delicate position. We must adjust the truth. In a way that will maintain public confidence in the Time Lords and their leadership. How many people have seen this Master since his death?"

"Apart from ourselves, Hildred and the two guards who took the body to the Panopticon vault."

"Then we shall rely on their silence. We shall change the appearance of the corpse, Castellan. We all know the posthumous effect of a staser bolt. Within the hour, the body will be charred beyond recognition. Our story is going to be that the Master arrived in Gallifrey to assassinate the President, secretly. Before he could escape, Chancellor Goth tracked him down and killed him, unfortunately perishing himself in the exchange of fire. Now that's much better. I can believe that."

"Borusa!" The Fighter exclaims, glaring at him.

Engin looks at him, shaking his head. "You're making Goth into a hero?"

"If heroes don't exist, it is necessary to invent them. Good for public morale."

"And the Doctor and Fighters part in all this?"

Borusa walks up to them "Best forgotten. Of course, Doctor, Fighter. The charge against you will be dropped. Conditional on your leaving Gallifrey tonight."

The Fighter glares at him, hurt by how he's acting. And just when she thought he was different when he defended her in the courtroom.

The Doctor spoke "Somehow B- I mean Cardinal, I don't want to stay. I don't know why I was crazy enough to in the first place."

"Good. I believe you know something of the Master's past." Borusa raised an eyebrow.

The Doctor nods "We've bumped into each other from time to time."

"Then before you leave, you can assist Coordinator Engin to compile a new biog of him. It doesn't have to be entirely accurate."

Borusa keeps his eyes on The Doctor and Fighter while talking to Engin "A few facts, Coordinator, will lend it verisimilitude. We cannot make the Master into a public enemy if there is no data on him. I'll leave that to you then. Later, Castellan, we must take another look at data security. We cannot have Time Lord DEs simply vanishing from the records."

Borusa turns to the Castellan "Well, I think that's all. You'll attend immediately to the cosmetic treatment?"

"Sorry?" Castellan asks confused

"The body, Castellan." Borusa then walks out of the room.

The Doctor looks to the Fighter grinning, as they both recall what their teacher would say. "Only in mathematics will we find truth."

Engin looks at them confused. "What?"

The Fighter explains it to him. "Borusa used to say that during our time at the Academy, and now he's setting out to prove it."

* * *

The Doctor is describing The Master to Engin. The Fighter has gone to see The Master's body in the Panopticon vault. The Castellan has already gone over to the Chancellery.

"What about his character?"

"He was evil, cunning and resourceful. Highly developed powers of ESP and a formidable hypnotist. And the more I think about it, the less likely it seems. Well, that the Master would meekly accept the end of his regeneration cycle. It's not his style at all."

"But that's something we must all accept, Doctor." Engin hands The Doctor a drink.

"Thank you. Not the Master. No, he had some sort of plan. That's why he came here, Engin."

"After the twelfth regeneration, there is no plan that will postpone death." Engin takes a sip of his drink.

"He had a plan. Something to do with Goth becoming the President. What's so special about the President, Engin? "

"Nothing. He's simply an elected Time Lord, usually from some senior position. He holds the symbols of office, but otherwise he's no different from any other Time Lord."

"Symbols?"

"Yes. Relics from the old time. The Sash of Rassilon. The Key."

The Doctor looks at him "Tell me about Rassilon."

"Well, it's all in the book of the old time. But there's a modern transgram that's much less difficult."

The Doctor's eyes widened "Oh!"

Engin looks at him worried "What is it?"

"Engin, I can feel my hair curling, and that means either it's going to rain or else I'm on to something."

Engin begins explaining to the Doctor about Time lord history, some of which was the reason of his low grades in the academy.

"And today we tend to think of Rassilon as the founder of our modern civilisation. But in his own time he was regarded mainly as an engineer and an architect. And, of course, it was long before we turned aside from the barren road of technology. "

The Doctor chuckles "Yes, that's all very interesting. Could we hear the transgram?"

"Early history is something of a pet subject."

Engin pushes a button as the voice of a woman sounds out around them talking. "And Rassilon journeyed into the black void with a great fleet. Within the void, no light would shine and nothing of that outer nature continue in being, except that which existed within the Sash of Rassilon. Now Rassilon found the Eye of Harmony, which balances all things, that they may neither flux nor wither nor change their state in any measure. And he caused the Eye to be brought to the world of Gallifrey wherein he sealed this beneficence with the Great Key."

The Doctor turns to Engin "Where's the Great Key?"

Engin turns off the playback. "It's an ebonite rod carried by the President on ceremonial occasions. But it's actual function, if it ever had one, is a complete mystery."

"Where's it kept?"

"In the Panopticon. There's a display case of relics."

"And the Sash of Rassilon, where's that?"

"Oh, that's held by the President. That stays in his possession."

The Doctor chuckles "Of course. What a stupendous egotist. The Master. He'd have destroyed Gallifrey, the Time Lords, everything, just for the sake of his own survival."

Castellan enters and hands the hypodermic needle to the Doctor. "It seems that the Master didn't die from natural causes."

"What?"

"He killed himself. Careful, it's poison."

"Tricophenyladehyde." The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Deadly, no doubt." Castellan looks around for The Fighter. "Where did The Fighter go?"

Engin responds "Oh she went to the Panopticon vault to say her last goodbye's to The Master."

The Doctor's eyes widened looking at the needle "No. It's a neural inhibitor. Castellan, we've been fooled. The Master, he's still alive."

Castellan and Engin's eyes widen "I've just sent Hildred to staser him."

"And The Fighter is with him!" The Doctor begins running out of the room as the others follow.


	5. TDA: Running Away from Home

**Running Away from Gallifrey**

**Doctor Who Fanfiction**

**Paring: **Fourth Doctor and Second Fighter (With Some Decaying Master)

**Chapter 5: **The Deadly Assassin Part 4: Running Away from Home

**Summary: **The 4th Doctor has a precognitive vision of danger on Gallifrey involving the President of Time Lords being murdered along with one of his childhood friends, The Fighter being in grave danger. Along the way he runs into his other childhood friend, The Master who is dying. How will this reunion go between the friends? (Follows the TV episode with some added stuff.)

**Nina Dobrev** is the 2nd incarnation of The Fighter.

* * *

Three bodies lie in the vault. The President and Chancellor Goth, with their faces covered, and the corpse-like Master. He stirs as Hildred enters to see The Fighter in the room.

"What are you doing here?" He asks her, surprised.

She turns to look at Hildred, her voice bitter "Saying goodbye to my old friend. Do you mind?"

Hildred sighs "Understood."

"What are you doing here?" She asks him confused.

"I'll leave you alone to your mourning." Hildred says as he leaves the room.

The Fighter looks back to The Master's body as she begins to call him by his childhood name he went by in the academy "Koschei...why? Why did this all happen?" She shakes her head in disbelief. "I just-I can't believe it!"

She looks at his corpse, not afraid of how it looks anymore as she is filled with sadness and anger towards herself "Theta...I mean, The Doctor told me that you and him are enemy's now. Why? You guys used to be such good friends."

She begins falling to the floor feeling the pain from the loss of her friend get to her as well. It felt the same way as when she first lost her mother, The Wanderer, she was so close to. Then the same thing with her father The Warrior.

They left her and her sister Romana alone to look after each other, but she started pushing Romana away, wanting to protect herself in case she lost her little sister next. The Fighter still doesn't notice The Master stirring.

"Why? Why do I keep losing people? I just want this pain to stop!" Tears fall from her face as she allows herself to finally sob. "I choose the name The Fighter as it meant a person with the courage or disposition to fight, someone who does not give up : someone who continues fighting or trying. But look at me now, obeying my husband like a good wife and not even bothering to fight. I just want it to end."

The Master jolts up as she jumps back surprised "K-Koschei?" She blinks her brown eyes "B-But they said you were dead? You had no pulse!"

He pulls his cloak up to cover his face so she doesn't look at him. "Don't look at me! I don't want you to see me in such a state!" He yells, trying to scare her away.

"Koschei? It really is you?" She begins to move towards him slowly "Koschei..."

"I don't go by that name anymore. I am The Master!" He yells, moving back from her.

She wasn't afraid and kept moving towards him trying to talk to him. "Sorry...Master." He had to admit he liked the sound of that coming from her of all people. He kept trying to avoid her as suddenly Hilred came in with his Staser.

He was shocked to see The Master alive. The Master quickly grabbed his throat, killing Hilred. The Fighter looked at him with wide eyes.

"So is it true what The Doctor has told me? That you've become evil and your part of the President's assassination?" The Fighter asked him curiously as she kept trying to get him to look at her.

He refused to look at her, keeping quiet.

The Fighter continued to walk up to him. "I'm not afraid of you Koschei, Master or whatever you want me to call you. You're one of my childhood friends and I would never give up on you." She stopped talking as a thought came to mind. "Take my regenerations."

The Master looked to her, shock written on his face. Did she have a death wish? It was an intriguing offer to take up, but he couldn't do that to her. Though he was desperate, He just couldn't do that, not to her who had never done him wrong

He yelled to her "No! I already have a plan to get more regenerations! I don't need your help!" The Master searches the President's corpse.

She raised her voice, eyes serious "I said, take my regenerations! I don't want them!"

"Are you stupid? Do you have a death wish?" He asked her, still refusing to take her life.

"Yes!" She yelled as it echoed in the room.

He looks to her shocked, then slinks off into the shadows just before Castellan, the Doctor and Engin enter. The Time Lady is looking at where the Master was, standing still. She was mad he didn't take her regenerations. She was angered that he left her all alone once again.

The Doctor ran to her, relieved to see she was fine. He noticed her standing very still and with a blank face. "Fighter, are you alright?"

She finally nodded, dissapointment filling her voice. "Yeah..."

The Castellan looks over at where The Master's body was laying "The Master, he's gone."

The Doctor looks to the table "Ah of course, The Master's consumed with hatred. It's his one great weakness along with not killing himself and of course, you Fighter."

The Master comes out from the shadows holding a gun. "Ha. Weakness, Doctor? Hate is strength."

The Doctor looks to his old friend "Not in your case. You'd delay an execution to pull the wings off a fly."

The Master laughs, pulling the Fighter towards him for leverage. "This time, Doctor, the execution will not be delayed. Castellan, I assure you I am not nearly so infirm as I look." He points the gun to The Doctor. "Now you, bring me the Sash of Rassilon. Oh yes, Doctor, why else do you think I feigned death? When Goth failed me, it was necessary to more direct means. But the Sash is wasted on our dead friend, don't you think so? Bring it to me and I'll let her go!"

The Doctor looks at her with worry in his eyes "Don't do it, Engin. He's bluffing, like I said, he won't harm her."

The Master yells out "A stupid remark, Doctor. Resistance is futile now."

The Fighter looks to The Master "Don't do this!"

"Don't give him the Sash, Engin" The Doctor yells.

"I have suffered long enough from your stupid, stubborn interference in my designs. Now we are coming to the end of our conflict, Doctor."

Castellan moves forward and the Master shoots him. The Fighter gasps at what has happened.

"Why have you brought me here? " The Doctor asks him.

The Master yells "As a scapegoat for the killing of the President. Who else but you, Doctor? So despicably good, so insufferably compassionate. I wanted you to die in ignominious shame and disgrace."

The Doctor steps forward and gets shot. "No!" The Fighter yells out.

The Master begins walking, holding The Fighter in his grasp with one arm as he points a gun at Engin. "Now, do as I say, Coordinator, or you'll get the same."

Engin strips the late President of the Y shaped sash and gives it to the Master. The Master looks the Time Lady with a sympathetic look as he lets her go. "They're not dead. Stunned. They'll live long enough to see the end of this accursed planet, and for the Doctor to taste the full bitterness of his defeat!" The Master leaves, and Castellan and the Doctor waken.

The Fighter looks at The Doctor as they make eye contact. "The Sash. Where's the Sash?"

"It's gone." The Fighter informs him.

Engin adds in "Well, what could I do? It's only of symbolic value anyway."

The Doctor looks to the Time Lord "Engin, that Sash is a technological masterpiece. It protects its wearer from being sucked into a parallel universe. All he needs now is the Great Key and he can regenerate himself and release a force that'll obliterate this entire stellar system. Don't you realise what Rassilon did? What the Eye of Harmony is? Remember? That which balances all things. It can only be the nucleus of a black hole. "

Castellan shakes his head "But the Eye of Harmony is a myth. It no longer exists."

"A myth? Spandrell, all the power of the Time Lords devolves from it. Neither flux nor wither nor change their state. Rassilon stabilised all the elements of a black hole and set them in an eternally dynamic equation against the mass of the planet. If the Master interferes, it'll be the end not only of this world, but of a hundred other worlds too."

* * *

The Time Lords try to open the door to the Panopticon, but it has been sealed by the Master.

Engin breathes in "It's no good. We can never move it."

"You're right, but we've got to get out of this place. There must be a way out!" The Doctor looks around for a way. He goes over to a sloping shaft by the biers. "There's a light up there. Where does that lead, Castellan?"

"The Panopticon. An old service shaft. " Castellan replies looking up.

"It's a hundred feet at least." Engin says.

The Fighter picks up her dress and begins walking in. The Doctor grins, following after her. The place begins to shake and rumble as the two keeping going, Rocks tumbling down the service shaft towards them.

* * *

The Master laughs over a bright light that is coming out of the Eye of Harmony. "Rassilon's discovery, all mine. I shall have supreme power over the universe. Master of all matter! Bwhahahaha!"

The Doctor and Fighter make it to the top of the shaft as the building starts to fall apart. The Doctor lands face first on the floor well the Fighter lands on her bottom.

"Doctor, Fighter, my congratulations. You're just in time for the end." The Master tells them.

The Doctor yells to him "You're insane. You're insane, do you hear me? You're releasing a force that nothing can stop."

"Stop Koschei...You can stop this now!" The Fighter calls out to him.

"Take the Rod. You can take it with you to your grave, except that none of you will need a grave." The Master reaches for the final pipe.

The Doctor looks up "If you undo that, you'll die as surely as any of us."

"You can do better than that, Doctor. Even in extremis, I wear the Sash of Rassilon."

The Doctor yells back to him in the wind "Yes, and the President was wearing it when he was shot down. The Sash won't protect you. It's damaged! Stop this now!"

"You lie!"

The Fighter reaches them Master, pushing him away from the Eye, and replaces one pipe. The Master tackles The Doctor who steps in front of The Fighter protecting her, then chases him up the steps, swinging a club at him.

At the top, the Doctor turns and pushes the Master back down the steps as The Fighter is working on replacing the pipes. The Master goes to stop The Fighter but gets a punch in the stomach for his efforts and goes down. The floor of the Panopticon splits, and the Master falls into the crack. He tries to pull himself out, but cannot get a grip. The Fighter runs over to him "Koschei!" She wasn't going to let him die, but she also wasn't going to let him get away with doing evil things.

As she reaches him, he finally falls, screaming. "No!" She yells as The Doctor goes to replace the pipes on the Eye. When the final one is in place, the planet stops shaking and the Doctor takes a deep breath in relief.

* * *

Borusa runs his fingers through a layer of stone dust on his desk. The Doctor is lounging in the fur-lined chair as The Fighter sits by him. She is still shocked over The Master's death.

Borusa yells at them just like he did back in the academy " Half the city in ruins. Untold damage, countless lives lost."

"But for the Doctor and Fighter it could have been much worse." Engin states.

Borusa turns to look at them "Yes indeed, I am conscious of the debt we owe these two. But Gallifrey has never know such a catastrophe, such devastation. What will we say?"

The Doctor stands up "Well, you'll just have to adjust the truth again, Cardinal. What about subsidence owing to a plague of mice?" The Doctor suggests as him and The Fighter share a look remembering their other childhood friend, The Rani's experiment with Mice that went wrong.

"As I believe I told you long ago, Doctor, you will never amount to anything in the galaxy while you retain your propensity for vulgar facetiousness." Borusa looks over to The Fighter "As for you Fighter, you use to be such a perfect student, until you started getting into shenanigans thanks to your friends."

The Fighter looked to him, shruging her shoulders. "Yes, sir. You said that many times, sir. Can we go, sir?"

"Certainly you may, preferably with the utmost expedition." Borusa looks behind them to the Castellan. "Perhaps you will see that the transduction barriers are raised, Castellan."

The Doctor and Fighter began to walk out of the room as Borusa stops them "Oh, Doctor, Fighter?"

They turn to him, waiting to hear what he has to say.

"Nine out of ten."

The Doctor and Fighter give their old teacher smiles as The Doctor says "Oh. Thank you, sir."

"It was nice to see you once again Sir." The Fighter states, leaving the room with The Doctor.

Borusa smiles, watching his old students go.

* * *

Engin, The Doctor and Fighter walk past a long case clock and on to the TARDIS.

"You know, Doctor, Fighter, if you two wanted to stay, I'm sure any past difficulties could be overlooked." Engin tells them.

The Doctor grins, talking like a child "But I like it out there, thank you very much."

The Fighter shakes her head at him. "Besides, It's time I take him up on his offer for leaving this place."

The Castellan comes in "The barriers are raised, Doctor."

"Thank you, Castellan." The Doctor smiles at him.

"It's we who should thank you, Doctor and Fighter for destroying the Master." Engin looks at them.

"Well, I didn't actually see him fall, you know. I was quite busy." The Doctor says as he notices The Fighter looking over at a Grandfather clock with a curious look.

"Oh, but if by some miracle he survived the fall into that chasm, he was dying anyway."

"There was a good deal of power coming out of that monolith, and the Sash would have helped him to convert it." The Doctor said, looking back to Engin.

The Castellan looked at him "Are you suggesting he survived?"

The Doctor points his finger at him as he begins to put the key into the TARDIS opening it. He motioned for The Fighter to come in "No, no, I hope not, Castellan. And there's no one in all the galaxies I'd say that about. The quintessence of evil. Goodbye, Castellan."

"Goodbye, Doctor and Fighter." Castellan calls to them.

"Goodbye, Doctor and Fighter!" Engin joins in.

The Fighter and Doctor are stepping half way of the door. "Oh, goodbye, Engin, goodbye." The Doctor then closes the door as The Fighter observes the TARDIS. The TARDIS dematerialises. Castellan turns and sees a wizened hand move a curtain by the long case clock.

Castellan points "Look, the Master."

"Where do you think they're heading?" Engin turns to him.

"Out into the universe, running away from Gallifrey. But, you know, I have a feeling it isn't big enough for the three of them." Castellan replies.

The Master's face appears in the clock face as he laughs and the clock dematerialises.

* * *

The brown haired Time Lady is sitting in the console room, watching the Doctor. She had decided to take the Doctor up on his offer finally of running away from Gallifrey. There was too much pain there, too many bad memories.

She knew the Doctor still wanted an answer about what happened back in her childhood house, but she couldn't tell him. She could tell the Master, but not him. There was no knowing how the Doctor would react and she didn't want to be rejected by him. He was the only person she had left now.

The Doctor walked over to the Time Lady who was deep in thought as he wrapped his scarf around her. He looked down at the olive green Victorian dress she was wearing. "I like the dress you picked out by the way. It looks lovely on you. You did always want to dress up in Victorian dresses, didn't you?"

The Fighter looked to him with a solem look. "Yeah. It was in the wardrobe room and I just picked it out."

Silence remained between them for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. The Doctor, looking to her with worry, grabbed her hands into his. "I could feel you holding my hand when I was in the Matrix. Thanks again for saving me."

She gave a nod to him.

He looked to her, curious with wonder. "But how did you do it? How could you have entered the Matrix without being hooked up to the machiene like I was?"

A smirk came to the Fighter's lips. "A girl has her ways."

The Doctor couldn't help but give a little laugh. His look than became serious. "Missy, why won't you tell me anything?"

She bit her lip, looking to him anxiously. "For your own protection." Damn, he was making her start to open up to him. She had to stay guarded, she couldn't tell him!

He shook his head "Psssh! I don't need protecting. I'm worried about you." He leaned in a little closer to her face. "There's something you're afraid of telling me, I can see it. You can tell me Missy, I won't hurt you." He started to rub her hands soothingly, trying to reassure her she was okay with him.

She found herself leaning in closer to him. For some reason she wanted to be held in his loving arms. Their lips were almost touching, as she quickly pulled away, looking away from him. "I can't."

The Doctor let out the breath he was holding, as he looked to her. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone again."

She looked up at him, noticing his saddened look. She was going to try and stop him from leaving, but couldn't find her voice. She put her faces to knees and sobbed quietly.


	6. The Face of Evil: The Evil One

As the chapter before this one, this chapter follows Episode 89 "The Face of Evil" in Classic Doctor Who Season 14.

Please do leave a review letting me know what you think or if there is something I need to work on. I'd greatly appreciate feedback! Thank you!

\- **TeaandWeirdness**

* * *

**Running Away from Gallifrey**

**Classic Doctor Who Fanfiction**

**Paring: **Fourth Doctor and Second Fighter (With some Leela)

**Chapter 6: **The Face of Evil - The Evil One

**Summary: **The Doctor's childhood friend, The Fighter is now traveling along with him as they arrive on a jungle planet and encounter a savage girl called Leela. Facing a new evil, they must save the planet and Leela's tribe.

**Nina Dobrev is the second incarnation of the Fighter.**

* * *

Animals call in the night, and a cybermat shaped thing with a small forked tail slithers along the sandy ground as the Tardis materialises amongst dead looking trees.

The Doctor steps out, looks around along with The Fighter following behind him. He turns to look at her "I think this is not Hyde Park. Could be a nexial discontinuity. Must remember to overhaul those tracers. Put a knot in my hanky."

He pulls out a hanky from his pocket that already has a knot in it. The Fighter looks at him curiously "I wondered what that was for. Little look round, Doctor?"

He replies shrugging and grinning to her "Why not?"

They begin walking around the area, observing the animals and plants. The Fighter begins to speak up "Um Doctor?"

"Yes?"

She hesitates before speaking "I was just thinking about what happened before back on Gallifrey, What happened with you and K- I mean the Master? How did he become...evil?"

The Doctor stopped in his tracks hearing the confusion and sad tone in her voice. He turns to look at her, speechless, not knowing exactly himself. They remembered that back in their academy days The Master was kind, though later on he did began to show a bit of a dark side, but was still a kind person.

He pulled out Jelly Babies from his pocket "Have a Jelly baby!" She knew he was trying to cheer her up in his own way again. She looked to the candy curiously. There wasn't anything like it on Gallifrey.

"It's okay, have one! They are good." The Doctor grinned at her.

She slowly grabbed for one and put it in her mouth. She gave a nod of approval to him.

"Let's look around now, shall we?" The two friends continued walking.

* * *

The Doctor is whistling 'Colonel Bogey' while the Fighter follows beside him. Something large growls nearby. They both look around for where it came from as the Doctor continues whistling.

Suddenly a girl trips at The Doctor and Fighter's feet. The Doctor kneels down to the ground "Hello. Hello, did we startle you? Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you." The Doctor takes her hand to help her up off the ground.

The brown haired girl looks to him, shocked "The Evil one."

The Doctor's eyes widen "Well, nobody's perfect, but that's overstating it a little. I'm the Doctor." He gestures over to The Fighter "And that's The Fighter. Whats your name?"

"Leela."

The Doctor grins at her "Leela. A nice name, Leela. I never met anyone called Leela. Would you like a Jelly Baby?"

Leela looks at him shocked "It's true, then. They say the Evil One eats babies."

The Time Lady looks at her confused as The Doctor responds "You mustn't believe all they say."

The Fighter gives a chuckle "No, these are sweets. They're rather good. Go on, have one." The Doctor pulls out the paper bag of Jelly Babies to Leela. She grabs one and smells it. The Doctor walks past her, looking over to something with wide eyes.

The Fighter watches Leela hesitantly eating the Black Jelly Baby. "Don't worry, it won't harm you. I was a little hesitant at first about it, but they're actually pretty good." Leela tears into it, eating half of it.

The Doctor turns back to them as he looks at her "Leela. Leela, either you've got four friends with very bad colds, or we're in danger. Which is it?"

She looks around "They're your creatures."

The Doctor looks at her confused "They are? I wonder if they know that. What are they like?"

"They can't be seen. They are phantoms" She replies, informing him.

"Invisible. We've got a chance." The Doctor replies pulling out a wind-up alarm clock from his pocket, except it only has the numbers 0 to 4 on it, anticlockwise.

The Fighter raises her eyebrow at him.

Leela looks at the object confused "A magic talisman?"

The Doctor starts winding it up "No, it's a clockwork egg timer. To our friends, whatever they are, the visible spectrum is irrelevant. They're blind." He puts it on a large stone nearby "Crudely speaking, they home in on vibrations." Leela picks up her crossbow as The Doctor comes back over to her and The Fighter after hearing another growl.

He looks to them "Shush, shush, shush. I want you to do exactly as I say. We are going to walk away from here very slowly and very quietly. And no matter what happens, you mustn't cry out or make any sudden move. And above all, you mustn't run until I tell you. Is that clear?" Leela and The Fighter nod. " come on. Come on."

The Doctor takes Leela's and The Fighters hand and they carefully walk away. They stop in their tracks as The Doctor whispers "Freeze."

Leela says loudly "What?"

The Doctor puts his finger to his mouth whispering "Shush!" The Fighter rolls her eyes at Leela.

They look ahead of them to see Big footprints appearing in the sand. The Doctor whispers to them "Now tread carefully." The Doctor lets go of their hands as he begins to walk first, but trips and falls flat on his face in front of the footprints. The egg timer goes off.

The Fighter steps in front of Leela and they help pick the Doctor up. "Saved by the bell! Come on!" The Fighter grabs The Doctor's and Leela's hand as they begin running. Stones near the egg timer go flying in all directions, then the timer is squished flat.

* * *

"Stop, we're safe now." Leela stops, letting go of their hands and falls to the sand to sit. "We can rest. The creatures won't cross the boundary."

The Fighter puts her hands on her hips, giving the girl a cold look "How can you be so sure?"

"They never have. He should know that." Leela responds, gesturing to the Doctor.

The tone in The Doctor's voice becomes a bit annoyed "I keep on telling you, I'm not the Evil One. Who was it that saved your life?"

"You two." Leela replies.

The Fighter gives a sarcastic smile to Leela. "Yes, thank you. Never cross the boundary? You know something? I'm sure those creatures don't stay on their side of the boundary out of a sense of fair play. There must be a fence of some kind."

Leela looks at her confused "A fence?"

The Doctor grins at the Time Lady "Oh Yes, a fence."

* * *

The Fighter removes a blue-green rosette plant to reveal a piece of equipment half buried in the sand. "Got it. Low intensity sonic disrupter set in a hundred and eighty degree spread. Simple but effective."

"Does that keep away the phantoms?" Leela asks.

The Doctor replies "Yes. It gives them a nasty headache if they go too close. They're probably set at intervals along the whole boundary." The Fighter puts the plant back over it. "The technology's quite advanced, so you didn't put them there."

Leela gasps "Xoanon!" She begins blessing herself.

"Xoanon? What's those?" The Doctor looks at her confused.

"He's worshiped by the tribe."

The Fighter chuckles "What, he's a god?"

Leela nods "Yes. I was cast out for speaking against him. It's said he's held captive."

"By whom?"

"By the Evil One and his followers, the Tesh. Maybe there is a holy purpose." Leela shakes her head confused. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

The Doctor looks to Leela. "Well, that sounds healthy anyway, Leela. Never be certain of anything. It's a sign of weakness. Now, where's this Xoanon held?"

"Within the Black Wall, wherein lies Paradise."

"Is that just religious gobbledygook, or is that an actual place?"

"There is a Wall." Leela replies nodding.

"Is there. Will you show us?" The Doctor asks as Leela nods again and starts walking.

* * *

Night is falling in the dead forest as The Doctor, Fighter Leela are walking through it. Leela suddenly calls out "Shush. I thought I heard something. Into cover, quick."

The Doctor turns his back looking away from them into the distance as Leela runs over hiding in the shadows of a tree. The Fighter looks at her, shaking her head.

The Doctor looks back and doesn't see them because of the fog. He begins to whisper "I don't. Leela, Fighter? Leela, Fighter,where are you?"

"Over here." The Fighter walks up to him.

He jumps a little, startled by her. "Oh there you are. Now where's Leela?"

She points over to the girl hiding behind the tree. "What? This is no time to be playing games." The Doctor shakes his head at her.

Leela looks to him, whispering "I don't understand."

The Doctor begins walking over to her hiding place "You don't understand? If they're preparing for a battle, they're hardly likely to send men on patrol on the off-chance that you might come back." Two crossbow bolts thud into the tree trunk directly in front of the Doctor.

The Doctor looks at the crossbows "On the other hand, I could be wrong about that."

Someone yells "Stand still!"

The Doctor looks to the two girls then looks to his side "Oh, absolutely." The Doctor looks back to Leela and whispers "Keep down, and get moving."

Leela looks to him whispering "I can't leave you. They'll kill you both."

The Doctor whispers "Go away." He begins to speak loudly to the attackers while still looking at the crossbows. "That was either very good shooting or very bad. Either way, I wouldn't dream of moving."

Three men with crossbows come into view. "Who are you?" one asks.

"I'm the Doctor. That's the Fighter. Who are you and why are you shooting at me?"

"Where is Leela?"

"Who?"

"Spread out. She must be here somewhere." One of the man start looking around the area. Leela begins to pull out her knife from the strap on her leg, incase she needs to use it for defense.

"Look, would you mind if I turned round? I feel a bit silly talking to this tree." The Doctor turns and walks forward, and the warrior blesses himself.

The warrior says "The Evil One." The Fighter rolls her eyes at them.

The Doctor grins at the three warriors, walking towards them away from the tree "Oh dear, you too. Well then, tread softly, gentlemen, or I'll turn you into toads."

Leela begins to creep away, leaving the two Time Lords to the warriors.

The Doctor continues talking "That gesture you did. Yes, that's the one. It's presumably to ward off evil. It's interesting because it's also the sequence for checking the seals on a Starfall Seven spacesuit. And what makes that particularly interesting is that you don't know what a Starfall Seven spacesuit is, do you."

The Doctor holds a jelly baby under the nose of the red-haired warrior. "Now drop your weapons, or I'll kill him with this deadly jelly baby."

"Kill him, then." A warrior replies.

The Doctor puts the Jelly Baby to his own mouth "I don't take orders from anyone." He eats the Jelly baby. "Take us to your leader."

* * *

The two Time Lords are escorted into a meeting hall. The Doctor is blindfolded with his own scarf, and his hands are tied behind his back. The Fighter is blindfolded by a piece of fabric, and her hands are tied behind her back. The captor unwraps the scarf from the Doctor's face. He then goes to take the fabric from around the Fighter's eyes.

The Doctor grins at them "Good evening. I think you're going to be very happy I came here tonight."

Neeva, a scientist like person of the tribe, is waving his tech up and down the Doctor's body like a Native American Medicine man.

"I'd be careful of that if I were you. It's an ultrabeam accelerator." The Doctor informs him cautiously.

"See how it fears the sacred relics of Xoanon." Neeva says to the the others. The Fighter rolls her eyes at them. Tribe people and their hocus pocus.

"If there happens to be a charge in there, you could transform this whole village into a smoky hole in the ground."

"Hear how it threatens us."

"Yes, well, look, if you'll just untie our hands, I think we have an idea of what's going on. We may be able to help."

"Hear how it squirms for release. Hey, hi ya. Ah, it cannot deceive us."

The Doctor looks to Andor, grinning "Oh no, I can see you're a person of very superior you the leader of this tribe, or is he?"

Andor sitting on a throne looks to the Doctor "Will you and your assistant release our god Xoanon?"

"Well, gladly, if I was holding him prisoner, but I'm not."

"We don't even know who Xoanon is." The Fighter added in.

"Then you must be destroyed, that we may release him." Andor brings his knife up to the Doctor's throat. The Fighter gives him a deadly glare.

Neeva interrupts, grabbing Andor's hand, holding the knife "Wait, Andor. Call the warriors together and I will speak the litany. Then it shall be destroyed before them and they will know that victory is ours. I will prepare myself."

"Very well, Guard, give the signal." Andor yells, walking away from the Time Lord.

"Don't hurry on my account!" The Doctor calls to Neeva, giving Andor a grin.

* * *

"I cannot believe it." Andor exclaims, shaking his head.

"Andor, listen to me." The Doctor begs.

"No. No!"

The Doctor's eyes are serious "Andor, please listen to me. I am not the Evil One. I am a traveller, that's all. Your tribe has obviously been visited by travellers before."

Andor looks in disbelief "Before? But that is impossible."

The Fighter rolls her eyes once again "They're space travellers, Andor. Men from another world. The whole place is littered with their equipment, their weapons and tools. Your legend of a captive god is obviously related to them in some way."

Andor walks over to a guard pointing to The Doctor "Guard it well." He points to the Fighter. "And keep an eye on her."

"Andor, please think about what-" The Doctor pleads.

"Its words are evil."

"Andor."

"Do not listen to him!" Andor leaves the room, angered.

The Doctor yells "Andor, killing me isn't going to help you." He then mumbles to the Fighter "It isn't going to do me much good either, is it?"

The Fighter shook her head, then looked down to the ground in thought. A world without him was a terriying thought.

* * *

The Two Time Lords are sitting in stalls when Neeva enters in his regalia and goes to speak to a warrior. " Lugo, when I reach the end of the litany, you know what to do." Leela is watching it all from the back room.

Leela sneaks into the room, kicking Lugo in the back, then stabs him. The Doctor looks over to her, shocked "How did you do that?"

The Doctor turns his back as Leela cuts the ropes off his wrist. She does the same for the Fighter and holds a thorn up for them to see. "Janis thorn. It paralyses, then kills. There's no cure."

The Doctor and Fighter look at her with eyes narrowed saying "What?"

"It was necessary. Come on." Leela replies, starting to walk away.

The Doctor puts his hand up, stoping her. "No, listen. Listen."

Leela whispers to him "We haven't got time to listen. They're coming to the bit about killing the Evil One, and that's you! Have you forgotten?"

They listened to hear the tribe people chanting outside the tent.

The Fighter raised her eyebrow at her "Do you know this litany?"

"Of course. We're taught it as children." Leela replied, nodding.

"Good. Then let's go, and don't dawdle." The Doctor, Fighter and Leela begin to walk away.

Leela shows them the way out through Neeva's back wall. Leela climbs through first as the Fighter quickly jumps out. The Doctor gets out just in time as a warrior runs in. The warrior sticks his head through the fabric and Leela stabs him with a thorn. She spreads his arms out as they stiffen, so he cannot be pulled back into the room.

She walks back over to The Fighter and Doctor as he speaks "That wasn't necessary. Who licensed you to slaughter people? No more Janis thorns, you understand? Ever."

The Doctor walks away as the two girls follow after him. They come to a foggy clearing. They stop in their tracks. The two Time Lord's eyes widen. "Well now, it seems I have been here before." The Doctor comments, shock in his voice.

"That's the Evil One." Leela explains, looking to it in horror.

A large rock face has a carving of the Doctor's face on it. "B-But how?" The Time Lady blinks in confusion.

The Doctor walks closer to it "I must have made quite an impression."

The Fighter looks to The Doctor "What happened? You must be able to remember."

He looks at the rock confused "Well, of course I can remember. I'm trying to. Perhaps I was on another part of the planet."

Leela shakes her head "There is no other part. Only beyond the Wall."

"Beyond the Wall. I wonder."

"What?" Leela asks in a loud tone.

"Shush, shush, shush. I'm wondering." The Doctor looks to it, deep in thought. "Back to the village." He turns around, heading back.

Leela yells "We can't! We'll be torn to pieces!"

The Fighter chuckles, giving a smug grin. "Not if they don't catch us, we won't."

The Doctor looks to her grinning "Anyway, they'll be preparing for their battle."

"That's what you said last time." Leela states.

"Well, you can't expect perfection, you know. Not even from me." The Doctor begins walking away with the Fighter as Leela narrows her eyes.

* * *

They return to the village, standing where the cut in the fabric wall is.

The Doctor says "I must examine those relics."

Leela looks to him "The village was dangerous enough, but the shrine of Xoanon?"

The Fighter chuckles "He's always had a knack for trouble and danger, it's to be expected when you're around him."

"I like the hat. Very fetching." The Doctor calls out, looking into the room through the fabric tear where Neeva was.

Leela turns back "That was the Hand of Xoanon."

"That was an armoured space glove, or what was left of one." The Doctor begins to climb through the fabric tear as they follow him.

In the shrine, The Fighter runs to look out the door. "It's all clear." Leela follows looking out the door as The Doctor walks over to the table of relics.

"Amazing. You know, I had a feeling, I had a feeling that Neeva was actually expecting to hear an answer to his prayer."

"There wouldn't be much point in praying if he didn't." Leela replied.

"I could quote you a few theologians who'd give you an argument on that. He was listening." Leela raises her eyebrow at him.

The Doctor picks up a blue tube and presses a button on the side. "Hello? Intergalactic Operator? Hello? Over? Dead as a Dalek. There must be something."

"Dead as a what?" The Fighter looked at him confused.

"Why did you talk to that tube?" Leela asked confused as well.

"I thought I recognised it." The Doctor said.

The Doctor goes to the stand and taps the spacesuit helmet, then turns away. It calls out "Neeva. " Leela drops to her knees, hands over her ears. "Neeva!"

The Fighter and Doctor look at the helmet curiously as the Doctor says " Poor old Neeva. Hotline to god."

The Doctor continues talking "That may be Xoanon speaking, but it's not God. Gods don't use transceivers."

"Are you certain?

"Aren't you?" The Doctor asks Leela.

"Yes."

"That's better."

Xoanon calls out through the helmet again "Neeva. Neeva."

The Doctor stands up and walks over to it. "I'm sorry, Neeva isn't here at the moment. Could I take a message? Over."

"At last we are here. At last. At last. Us."

The Fighter walks over to it curiously "Us?"

"You. Me. Us. We. At last I shall be free of us."

The Fighter's eyes widen, realizing who's voice that was. She begins backing away from the Doctor slowly, shocked.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asks, puzzled.

"Don't I know?"

The Doctor backs away mumbling as he begins to speak clearly "Fighter, Leela, I have a feeling. Something nasty. Something I did. It seems like it."

Leela looks at him confused walking towards him "What are you talking about?"

"Who did that voice remind you of?"

The Fighter replies, narrowing her eyes at him. "You. It was your voice. How could that be?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "More to the point, who could that be? I must take a look at the Wall." They begin to leave the room as The Fighter takes one final glimpse back at the helmet. Could the Doctor really be this "Evil one?" Was he even possible of being evil? and more importantly...could she trust him?


	7. The Face of Evil: Trust no One

**Running Away from Gallifrey**

**Classic Doctor Who Fanfiction**

**Paring: **Fourth Doctor and Second Fighter (With some Leela)

**Chapter 7: **The Face of Evil Part 2- Trust No One

**Summary: **The Doctor's childhood friend, The Fighter is now traveling along with him as they arrive on a jungle planet and encounter a savage girl called Leela. Facing a new evil, they must save the planet and Leela's tribe.

**Nina Dobrev **is the second incarnation of the Fighter**.**

* * *

Andor is leading his warriors, both men and women through the forest. Leela, the Fighter and the Doctor stand in front of a shimmering entery way.

"It's a time barrier." The Doctor informs her.

The Fighter adds in "The principle's really quite simple. You just move everything forward a couple of seconds inside it. You get a barrier that's impervious to all energy. A true void."

"I've seen it done as a parlour trick, but never on this scale." The Doctor shakes his head.

Leela puts her hand up to it "Isn't there any way to get through it?"

"Not unless whoever set it up deliberately bridged it."

Leela looks to him "So that means Andor and the others-"

"Are walking into a trap, correct." The Fighter replies nodding.

Leela turns to her "Isn't there any way we can warn them?"

" It's too late. Anyway, they wouldn't listen." The Doctor replies shaking his head.

"Caleb might. Let's try." Leela begins running off as they both follow her.

* * *

They arrive back at the meeting hall as Leela whispers "Someone's coming." Leela hides, but the Doctor and Fighter stand in the open.

The Doctor turns to Caleb "Hello, Caleb. I was just thinking about you."

"So Neeva and Andor were lying." Caleb narrows his eyes as Leela stands up behind him.

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Where's Leela?" Caleb said with a serious tone.

The Fighter smirks, looking to her. "Behind you." Leela informs him.

He turns to look at her grinning "Ah."

"How was the battle?" The Doctor asks nonchalant.

"Just as the old ones remembered the last time. The Wall closed up."

"A massacre?" Leela asks.

Caleb looks down "More than half the men were killed, and we never even saw the Tesh. "

"You seem unhurt." Leela says looking at him.

"There's no virtue in dying, Leela." He replies smugly.

The Fighter narrows her eyes at him "That rather depends on what you do to avoid it." Leela pulls out another knife she had.

The Doctor turns to her "Leela, put the knife away." He looks to Leela and The Fighter "I'm sure he's a reasonable man." The Time lady rolls her eyes in disagreement.

Caleb looks to him "Thank you. So what do you want of me?"

"We need someone's help." Leela replies.

"Leela seems to think it might be yours." The Fighter says in disbelief, hands on her hips.

"The tribe is in desperate danger, Caleb. The Doctor and Fighter can help. They're the only ones who can. But we must convince the others that The Doctor's not the Evil One."

The Doctor mumbles to them " Having first of all, of course, convinced you."

"I don't think you're the Evil One, and never have. I don't believe in ghosts." The Fighter looks to him shocked by what he said.

The Doctor looks at Caleb, grinning "I'm impressed. Perhaps Leela's right about you."

"But if I'm to help, I need to know everything."

The Fighter walks over to Caleb "There isn't much time. You see, Leela, The Doctor and I found an impenetrable barrier."

Caleb stabs a Janis thorn into Leela's hand and draws his knife. Leela falls to the ground as The Doctor holds his hands up, trying to go over to The Fighter. She stands her ground looking at Caleb with narrowed eyes.

"Janis thorn. Something you haven't thought of. Now stay where you are." Caleb yells at her and the Doctor.

"I thought you were too easily convinced." The Fighter says bitterly. She knew better then to trust him. You couldn't really trust anyone as they were liable to turn on you.

Caleb looks over to The Doctor "I meant it. You're certainly not the Evil One, but the others think you are. Neeva said you'd been destroyed. You're just the evidence I need to break him."

The Doctor looks down at Leela "She underestimated your ambition."

"It's for the good of the tribe."

"Of course. This too."

The Doctor begins to walk over to the Fighter, but Caleb stops him. "She would have opposed me. I said stay where you are!"

The Doctor looks at him "You need me alive, remember?"

The Doctor kneels down to look at Leela as The Fighter remains standing where she is. Suddenly Tomas bursts in yelling at Caleb "Caleb, you held back! You cost us the attack!"

Caleb is distracted. The Fighter kicks his leg out from under him and grabs Leela's crossbow, going to the back corner. She looks to Caleb, eyes still narrowed but a smirk on her face. The Doctor follows behind her and calls out to Tomas "Come in. Who are you?"

"Tomas." He looks down at Leela. "Leela! What have you done to her?"

The Doctor replies "He poisoned her with a Janis thorn. Up!"

Caleb looks to The Fighter "You've broken my leg!"

The Fighter looks to him smugly "Oh my bad. I'll break your nose next if you don't get up!" Caleb, sensing her dangerous tone, gets up.

The Doctor looked to her shocked and in awe. The only time he ever saw her take control like this was when someone messed with him, the Master or one of her family members.

"Now pick Leela up, both of you." She motioned to the two men. The Fighter begins walking over to Caleb, holding the crossbow to him.

"It takes skill to use one of those." He said, trying to dissuade her.

The Fighter looks at it, giving a sarcastic smirk. "Hmm... I don't know how to use it but, At this range, all it needs is a flick of the wrist and some practice." Her tone was threatening, as if suggesting to try it out on him for practice. The Doctor noticed this, shocked by her action. He would have to talk to her later about it.

"Pick her up." The Time Lady ordered them bitterly as Tomas and Caleb lift the rigid Leela between them. "And Move!"

They put her on the acceleration couch. The Fighter is still holding the Crossbow to them.

"Gently." The Doctor orders them, starting to feel a bit nervous by the Time Lady's actions himself.

Caleb walks over to them "Now what are you going to do?"

The Doctor replies "Tomas, you don't want her to die, do you?"

"No, of course not."

"Then cover him. I need time to work." The Doctor replies, then looks to the Fighter. "Give the crossbow to him."

The Fighter shook her head "What happens if he turns on us as well?"

"I won't. I promise." Tomas tries to assure her.

The Time Lady gave a snide snort "I've heard that line many times before. Just a broken promise."

The Doctor put his hand on her's, looking into her brown eyes. "If you don't trust them, then trust me. Give the crossbow to him."

She looked to him, debeating for a minute which worried him. She finally handed Tomas the crossbow with a hmph and crossed her arms.

The Doctor turns to the relics along with The Fighter, getting to work. "This is a bioanalyser, rattlesnake. I can identify the poison and programme the medikit to make an antitoxin." The Fighter takes the thorn from Leela's hand and puts a sample into the analyser. She puts the other half of it into her pocket quickly before he notices. The Doctor notes the results and goes to another piece of equipment.

Caleb whispers to Tomas "What do you suppose they're doing, Tomas? You don't really think that's going to help Leela, poking around in Neeva's relics?"

The Doctor turns to Caleb yelling "Shut up, rattlesnake. I'm trying to save time. Leela hasn't got much left." The analyser produces a printout which the Doctor puts into the medikit.

Tomas looks over to Leela, laying on the couch with her eyes and mouth opening looking at them blank "I think she's dead. "

"Got it!" The Doctor calls out going back to Leela.

"He's gone!" Thomas calls out, Caleb now gone from the room.

The Doctor turns to The Fighter "Watch the door." She goes over to Thomas and watches the door. The Doctor presses the mini-hypo into Leela's palm. After a few moments, she blinks, then moves her head.

"Doctor?" She asks looking up.

"Are you alright?"

Leela looks to her hand "The Janis thorn. There's no cure."

"Yes, there is. Just a matter of finding one."

"Do you know the answer to everything?"

"Yes. Well, no, no. Answers are easy. It's asking the right questions that is hard." He replies chuckling.

Thomas calls out "They're coming!"

The Doctor asks Leela "Can you move?"

Leela starts getting up "I think so. My arm hurts a bit."

The Fighter grabs the Crossbow. "Tomas, take her and Leela out of the back way." The Doctor orders him.

The Fighter looks at The Doctor as he tries to grab the Crossbow from her "No, I'm coming with you."

Leela nods "Same."

The Doctor raises his voice at her "Give me the crossbow, You're going with Thomas. I'll meet you both later. Go."

The Fighter looks to the Doctor, eyes narrowed and tone cold. "No. Thomas can protect Leela and I'm coming with you! End of story!"

The Doctor gritted his teeth. Her stubborness seemed to stay with her and there was no stopping her when she was this way. "Fine come along." They stepped out of the room as The Doctor looked to warriors surrounding them outside.

"Good evening, gentlemen. You know, I never thought you'd get here. Good heavens, look at that." The Doctor said pointing behind them as The Fighter held up the crossbow to them.

The Doctor sits on the throne as he continues speaking "Now then, down to business. I'm beginning to think you don't like me." Neeva begins to walk up towards him" Ah, Neeva. Is it really you? They told me you were dead. Or was it the other way round?"

* * *

Leela, the Doctor, The Fighter and Tomas have their hands tied behind them, and Andor is back on his 'throne'. People are yelling at him. Andor calls out "Silence! Be silent!"

Neeva points to Leela "Did it not bring the witch, one of its servant, to life? I tell you it was destroyed, but not totally, so it renewed itself."

The Doctor had lost his temper "Ha! If you can believe that, you can believe anything. I'll tell you once again. I am not the Evil One."

Andor yells to him "But it was you, you who wiped out the attack."

"Oh, flapdoodle! I was nowhere near it."

"That's true. I was with him all the time." The Fighter replies, defending him.

Neeva yelled out, pointing at her "Pah! Would you believe a witch?" The Fighter glared at him, her short temper getting the better of her mouth.

"Don't you **DARE** call me a witch you god wanna-be!" She replied to him rancourously.

"Look how the witch threatens me!" Oh, how this man was getting on her nerves.

The Doctor spoke, cutting in. "The attack failed because it was a trap from the start."

"And who would have set such a trap?" Neeva asked.

"Xoanon!" Leela yelled as everyone began to gasp.

The Fighter rolled her eyes "Oh, that was a great mistake."

"They must all be totally destroyed. Throw them to the Horda!" Neeva yells.

Commotion begins to break out in the room as The Doctor and Fighter turn to look at each other asking "What is a Horda?"

Caleb suddenly yells out, breaking the commotion "No, wait! I do not believe he is the Evil One."

Leela whispers "Conscience?"

"No, politics. He's trying to break Neeva's hold on the tribe." The Doctor informs her.

Caleb continues talking "If he can be killed, then he is not the Evil One, because the Evil One is a god."

The Doctor nods, whispering "Good point. Fifteen love."

Neeva's eyes narrow at Caleb "The litany says it can be destroyed."

The Doctor whispers again "Fifteen all."

Caleb calls out "I say we should put it to the test and see if he speaks truly."

"But the test is for mortals." Andor reminds him.

"If he can be killed then he is a mortal!" Caleb replies yelling as the crowd mutters to each other.

The Doctor whispers to the Fighter "Game, set and match to Caleb, I think."

* * *

They are sent to the Horda pit . It has a little tongue sticking out, a horny plate on its head, tiny insect wings at the top of its segmented body. The Doctor looks at it, wide eyes. "So that's a Horda. Well, it doesn't look too formidable. What do I do, fight it or eat it?"

Caleb holds out a stick and the Horda sinks its sharp little teeth into it. A sort of land piranha. The Fighter and Doctor's faces do an O expression.

"They'll strike at anything that moves, except each other. Ten of these can strip the flesh from a man's arm almost before he can cry out." Caleb explains.

"I take it there are more than ten in there." The Fighter asks bluntly.

Andor replies, smirking at her "The pit is full of them."

Caleb looks to the Doctor, grinning. "You stand on that." He points to a waist high wall made from bits of spaceship with a cover of interlocking planks.

The Doctor asks, a childish tone "And then what?"

Caleb hands him a crossbow "You must break the rope."

"Doctor, the rope gets thinner the further it goes, but it gets faster too." Leela informed him.

The Doctor looks at her confused "What? The rope gets thinner the further it goes"

"Faster!" The Fighter yells to him.

"But it gets faster too. The rope gets thinner the further it goes." The Doctor continues saying, looking at them.

A warrior slaps Leela and The Fighter. "Silence! He does it alone!" The Fighter glares at them, wanting to slap them back if she could. Her hands are still tied behind her back.

The Doctor's eyes narrow at the man "Who is that man?"

Caleb asks "Which man?"

"That man!" The Doctor snatches Caleb's stick with the Horda still clamped onto the end, and hits the warrior with it. The Horda bites his shoulder instead and he runs screaming into the dark.

The Doctor looks to The Fighter "Sorry about that." He then looks at Caleb "Shall we get on with it?" The Doctor climbs onto the pit hatch. "Well?"

"Let the test begin." Caleb announces. A man pulls a lever and a large rock begins to drop, pulling the planks apart as The Doctor looks at The Fighter and Leela grinning and waving. The teeming horde of hungry Horda are underneath as The Doctor looks back up with a worried expression. He turns to shoot at the rope as The Fighter breaks free from the ropes on her hands. He takes his time, checking the sights. Leela breaks free from her ropes as well and gets as far as the lever, while The Fighter is knocking the warriors down.

A man stops them from going further. "Stop!"

The man is holding a crossbow to them. The Doctor looks down to them as he turns and quickly shoots through the rope and the rock splashes into water. "Very good, Doctor. Very good." The Fighter and Leela let out a sigh of relief.

The Doctor begins walking down the steps "Well, are you convinced now? Fighter, Leela, that was very nice of you to try and help me, but really there was absolutely no need." The Doctor looks at Caleb "Would you just release our friends, please?"

"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" The Fighter asks her friend.

The Doctor turns to look at her "Shoot like what? Oh, like that. In Switzerland. Charming man. William Tell, he was called." The Fighter looks at him a bit confused but remembering hearing the name Switzerland on a map he showed her of the planet Earth back in the academy.

The Doctor and Fighter turn to go back to the Xoanan shrine. They enter to see Neeva standing by the spacesuit helmet. The voice is a man's, but not the Doctor's this time.

Xoanan calls out "Neeva. Neeva, where is he? Doctor? Doctor, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here, Xoanon."

"Ah, good. Good. We have decided," Xoanan begins to speak in a different man's voice "To destroy you."

"I see, Xoanon. Why don't we get together and talk things over?" The Doctor gathers some things from the relics table, including rope and gaffer tape.

The first voice of Xoanan speaks "We are together. We have said all there is to say and know all there is to know."

"Now we don't want to do anything hasty, do we?"

"Hasty? It's been," Xoanan begins to speak in his second voice again "An eternity. I'm turning off the boundary to let in my pets from beyond. Goodbye, Doctor."

Neeva turns to The Doctor as he stops in his tracks. "What does it all mean?"

The Doctor replies "It means trouble. Large, deadly and invisible."

Out in the forest, the sonic disrupters switch off.

* * *

Please feel free to leave constructive criticism on this. I would greatly appreciate the help! :) Thanks for taking the time to read! Till the next chapter.

\- TeaandWeirdness


End file.
